Redemption
by TJ Jordan
Summary: After losing his best friend at the end of his fifth year, Severus Snape breaks free of his old life and begins a new one, starting down the path of redemption. But in his attempt for a better life, he discovers 'secrets' involving himself and his family, making him not only question who he is... but who he will ultimately become - 1st installment to my Severus Snape Series
1. The Loss of a Friend

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Alright, so I decided to give this one a try.**

 **For those who are new to my stories, I welcome you and hope you enjoy my work. For those who are familiar with my stories, I welcome you back. Anyway, I wanted to try out the Harry Potter fandom once more and this was the kind of story that I really wanted to do.**

 **Severus Snape is a very interesting character to me from the Harry Potter series. While he is definitely a jerk and has made me wish someone would put the hurt on him, I do have sympathy towards him. There is a reason for why he is like this in the books. He grew up in an environment of parents and friends who had a huge negative impact on him, and was bullied around by those who barely knew him. So, the way I see it, Snape's formation into the cold, heartless being he becomes is largely due to the influence of the world around him. Does that excuse him from the things he has done? No. He is responsible for his actions, but I think people misunderstand the circumstances of the life he was forced to live. When he was put in House Slytherin, he was also put into an environment of people who were against those who weren't pure-blood. And lets not forgot that no one ever gave him the time of day to actually give him a chance or even just try to be friends with him (with the exception of Lily that is). And James Potter and the Marauders most certainly didn't help with their bullying and hatred towards him.**

 **Anyway, I'm getting off track. The story is about Snape during his fifth year at Hogwarts and his realization of what he was becoming when he goes too far with a certain** _ **incident**_ **involving Lily Evans. I've always fantasied about the idea of** _ **'what-if'**_ **Snape had taken the incident more seriously and saw it as a wake-up call that snaps him out of the whole 'pure-blood', 'Lord Voldemort rules', 'Dark Arts' insanity he was believing in. While I did like the concept, I also realized that I needed to expand the story a little more, and decided to add in a few more plot elements and characters to keep it interesting for me to write. So please bare with me as the story goes on, because it will take different turns along the way.**

 **I did originally meant for this to be a '** _ **close-to-canon'**_ **type of story, despite it is pretty much an AU telling of Severus, but I've since abandoned the idea of making this a parallel universe. As I got further into developing the story, it became clear I really needed to go off-book for this to work. However, I will be trying to remain true to the canon of the story and events surrounding 1976 and long before. Anything going on after 1976 is out the window.**

 **Also, just to make myself clear, "I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling and to Warner Bros."**

 **With that out of the way, please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **The Loss of a Friend**

* * *

Severus Snape sat under a large tree by the Great Lake, reading a book about the Dark Arts that he found in the library. The sun was shining on the surface of the green grass and reflecting off the waters of the lake. No cloud was in the sky and the weather was hot, representing the arrival of summer in June.

Everyone was outside, either sitting in the grass, swimming, playing chase on broomsticks, or even just walking and visiting with their friends. All within the exposure of the sun.

Except for him.

He was never one find welcome comfort in the warm weather or the sun's light. He tried to stick to being in darker environments and within the reach of areas that would allow for him to remain unseen. He couldn't explain it, even if he wanted to, as to why that was. Even others in Slytherin were the same, always preferring the cold and dark, both in more ways than one.

With his back against the trunk of the tree and his legs almost to his chest, he kept his attention to the dark colored book in his hands, never straying his eyes away from it.

"Oi, look over there!" came the one of the very few voices in all of existence that made Snape's heart and mind fill with anger. He dared not to look up, hoping that the person wasn't talking about him.

"This'll liven you up, Padfooot!"

"It's _pathetic_ little Snivellus Snape, himself!"

Already he could hear the footsteps reaching his ears as he groaned to himself and closed the book with a _taut._ He looked up and saw James Potter and his gang of Marauders, made up of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, coming right towards him, laughing.

Only Lupin had a fearful expression, looking conflicted with himself.

Reaching for his wand, Severus picked himself off the ground and took a few steps away from the tree, getting his wand ready for a fight.

Just as they were almost to him, Sirius pointed his wand at him, making him raise his own in order to shout _Stupefy_ at his opponent. However, he felt his wand snap out of his hand and onto the ground. He immediately realized that the move was meant to destract him, so that James could cast an _Expelliarmus_ at him.

Before he knew it, James pointed his wand back at him and said, " _Impedimenta."_

The force of the spell sent him flying against the tree and back onto the dirt below him. Before he had the chance to get up, he felt himself being lift off the ground and into the air, almost as if something was holding him by his leg. He tried in vain to make sure his Hogwarts uniform didn't reveal any undergarments, only to realize in fear that he was beginning to hear chuckling.

The commotion had already gotten the attention of other students, who gathered around in a circle to watch.

Although he didn't have a good sense of his surroundings, he could hear laughter coming from all directions. He spun around a little bit and finally came into view of James Potter, who was smiling at him in a way that only fueled Snape's rage and humiliation.

It soon dawned on him that James had used one of his own spells, _Levicorpus_ , to attack him. It didn't really surprise him all that much, since the spell was no longer a secret. He did use it himself in the Defense of the Dark Arts more than he should have.

"Hey, everyone look!" James yelled over his shoulder to get the attention of everyone around. "Snape's robes haven't been washed yet!"

As if on command, a wave of laughter echoed everywhere.

"Seriously, Snivellus, you really need to get yourself some new clothes. You look like you haven't changed your undergarments in weeks."

The laughter got louder, beginning to sound like loud bells in Severus's ears.

"More like months!" came the voice of Sirius.

"Or years, for that matter!" Peter jumped in.

The only one who didn't do anything was Remus, who had turned away in shame.

In his moment of anger, Severus yelled out all sorts of curse words at his enemies. He failed to realize his vision was blinded by a mist of red and black.

"Wash your mouth!" James said coldly, while still holding that smile of his. He turned around to look the other way, almost as if he was looking for someone. He used his free hand to move his hair around. When he faced Severus again, he shouted, _"Scourgify!"_

Pink soap bubbles came running out of his mouth and nose, making him gag and choke. Though his lungs begged for air, he dared not to breath in the soap. Even in his anger and moment of panic, he wished for death to take him. He wanted for it all to end right there and then. Finding peace that maybe his death would be the final laugh against James Potter. The act itself would make him a murderer, probably even get him sent to Azkaban. But he immediately remembered that Dumbledore would somehow get him off the hook.

 _So much for 'no rest for the wicked'._

At the point he thought he was going to faint, he felt the spell weaken its focus on him and stop, allowing for him to breath. Much to both his relief and disappointment.

"What do you say we dip him into the lake until that horrible stench is fully gone?!" James called out to the growing crowd. "Should we _Strip and Dip Snape_?!"

"STRIP AND DIP SNAPE!"

"STRIP AND DIP SNAPE!"

"STRIP AND DIP SNAPE!"

Even though one of the sides of his robes blinded him, he could feel the eyes of everyone on him and hear the demand of seeing him get stripped of his clothes and repeatedly dipped into the water. He could feel the blood rushing towards his brain and his sight getting more blurry. He could feel his hatred multiplying itself as each second passed. A rage that begged for vengeance against his enemy.

"HEY, LEAVE HIM ALONE, POTTER!" came a girl's voice.

Trying to find the source of the voice, he saw a red-headed girl confronting James. The green eyes of Lily Evans were staring deep into Potter's, almost as if she could burn right through them. Her hands were on her hips and her face was red as a cherry.

"I said _'leave him alone, Potter'_!" Lily repeated, looking directly into James's eyes with every sign of great dislike. "Go snog a witch or jump off a cliff for all I care!"

James scoffed and laughed with his friends, with the exception of Remus, who was keeping quiet.

For a single moment, Severus saw Lily smile. It was only for a split of a second, but he saw it. The sight almost sent him into fury, making him wonder if she was trying not to smile at him or James. Either way, it only added more fire to his anger.

"Why do you defend him, Lily? He's just like the rest of those pathetic Slytherins."

"It's _Evans_ , thank you very much! And second, it's not nice to bully him around and violate his privacy just because he's not as popular as you. Besides, what's he ever done to you?"

"Well, it's more of the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

"Let him down!"

Pushing back his hair, James smiled at her, "As you wish."

Almost without warning, Severus felt the force holding his body in the air let go of him. Bracing himself, he felt the hard surface rush up to greet him, and made sure not to land on his head. He could feel his sides and back ache from the impact, but forced himself to keep silent, not wanting to give his opponents the satisfaction of knowing the pain his body was in at the moment.

Though managing to get himself off the ground and dust off the dirt from his robes, he struggled to get himself together. His mind was still swimming in a lake of pure anger from the experience, and his focus was full set on trying to hurt James right at that very second. He pushed aside his oily long black hair from the corners of his eyes and glared at James. He went straight for his wand and snatched it from the ground.

" _Sectumsempra!_ " he whispered, sending the curse at James, hitting him on the cheek.

Crying out in pain, he cupped the side of his face and turned away.

Happy that he was able to show him how serious he was, his small moment of victory was short-lived.

"Oh no, you don't!" Sirius cried out, casting a _Impedimenta_ that sent him flying into the tree again, making him lose his wand once more. As he got up, he found himself under James's wand.

Lily immediately threw herself in front of Potter's wand, her face red with fury once again.

"I won't ask again, Potter! Leave him alone!" she declared.

"Don't make me hex you, Evans," James warned her, before smirking once again. "You know what? I'll make you a deal; go out on a date with me and I promise to leave Snivellus alone for as long as I live. Go on... Go on a date with me! You know you want to."

Lily scoffed, coldly replying, "You think you're so funny, don't you, Potter?! I wouldn't go out on a date with you if it was a choice between you and a giant squid. You're nothing but an arrogant, bullying toerag, James Potter! Now leave him alone!"

"Bad luck, Prongs," Sirius chuckled.

Lily turned to Severus and walked over to him, her hand touching his shoulder.

"Sev, are you alright?"

Severus then turned his attention towards her, keeping the same expression. He witnessed those beautiful eyes start to fill up with fear, not being used to seeing this much anger directed towards her, even though she wasn't the cause or target of it.

"Aw, poor Snivellus," James teased. "He needs help from a _girl_ to fight his battles."

A river of embarrassment, humiliation and anger rushed through him, memories of all the times Lily had to come to his defense against James were revived. His father's beatings also entered his journey down _memory lane_ , only adding more salt to the wound. But it was the memory of witnessing that smile she had just a second ago that pushed him over the edge.

Almost as if his mouth was on auto-pilot, he pushed her hand away from his shoulder and yelled out the words that he never meant to say, "I don't need help from filthy little _mudbloods_ like her!"

Everyone gasped and became silent.

Lily's expression went from fear to shock, then to sadness. Even James had wide eyes.

All the attention was completely on them, waiting to see what would happen next.

The words soon reached Severus's ears, and finally his head. As he processed everything, his anger was beginning to disappear with each passing second. His eyes widened at realization of what he had just called Lily, his one and only best friend. Even from just looking at her eyes could he see what his words were doing to her, seeing the sadness and the damage he had caused. He saw anger within those beautiful green eyes that he loved so much. Anger that was made purposely for _him_.

And what happened next made his stomach twist into a knot.

Breaking the silence, Lily shook her head and replied, "If that's what you want, Snape, then fine! I won't help or bother you any longer. _It's over_. Oh, and by the way, I'd wash your pants if I were you... _Snivellus_."

The last word pierced his heart like a thorn and his mind went blank at the moment. He immediately regretted what he had said, as he tried to call out and beg for her forgiveness, but he was frozen in place, unable to find the strength to do or say anything at that moment. He watched as she turned her back on him and walked into the crowd in front of her, reuniting with her friends on the other side.

As the crowd reformed, he lost sight of her.

It felt like an eternity as he stood there, staring at the same spot that Lily had been. He thought he heard James say something, but he didn't hear it. Everything was dead silent to his ears, including his other senses. He didn't even feel the spell that James casted at him, forcing him on his back. He thought he saw the world spinning before his eyes as he was lifted up into the air by an invisible force and levitated over the lake. As the water awaited him below, he could feel the force letting his body fall to the blue surface.

Over and over again, he was dropped into the lake and then raised back out, only for the process to repeat itself once more. But Severus never took notice of any of this, only feeling what was currently in his heart and soul... _regret_.

It wasn't long until he was left in water, sinking to the dark bottom below him. There was a part of him that wanted to sink into the abyss and disappear, to let the pain wash away. He could feel a sense of peace being in the lake itself. The sound of the water that calmed him.

Regaining some of his senses, he felt his body beg for air and began swimming towards the surface, breaking through. Letting himself float around, he let his lungs get their fill and looked towards shore, seeing the crowd break apart and also James walking away with his friends, laughing.

Swimming to shore, he allowed himself to fall on his back and let himself rest against the cold, wet ground. Letting everything settle around him, he began to force himself back up and went to retrieve his wand.

Retreating to the Common Room of House Slytherin, he went to the boys bathroom and died his clothes, even taking a shore to get the bad smell off of him.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged as he barely walked to dinner in the Great Hall with the rest of his house and couldn't get himself to eat anything. The event played out in his head, over and over. He only stared at his empty plate through the whole feast. Once in a while one of his fellow house members would ask if he was alright, only to receive no response.

By the time dinner was over, he couldn't even remember how he found himself standing outside the stone wall of the dungeons of House Slytherin. He tried to will himself to go in, only to find guilt standing in his way.

Realizing he still had a while until curfew was put into effect, he turned away from the stone entrance and walked through the castle of Hogwarts, finally coming to the seventh floor of where Gryffindor Tower was. He approached the oil painting of the one known as the Fat Lady.

"Oh, a Slytherin!" the Fat Lady screamed. "Shoo! Get out of here! You're not welcomed here!"

Severus ignored her and went to go sit on one of the steps right next to the portrayal, resting his head against the wall he waited. Once in a while he would get a nasty remark from the Fat Lady, who was growing more impatient with his presence.

After a while he heard footsteps coming his way and looked up to find a Gryffindor named Mary McDonald staring at him with surprise in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

Snape blinked and replied, "I'm here to apologize to Lily."

"Forget it, _Slytherin_!" she spat at him, eyes full of anger. "Everyone knows what you called her. You don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Maybe I don't," his words surprised her again. "But I need to do this. Please... all I'm asking is for her to come talk to me, even if I have to sleep right here until morning. I just need to say what I need to say."

Mary glared at him, almost as if she expected him to just get up and walk away. After a few moments of silence, she sighed.

"You aren't kidding about waiting here all night, are you?"

"What do you think!"

Giving an annoyed groan, she walked to the Fat Lady and whispered the password, quickly walking on through.

A few more minutes passed until Snape heard the painting open again, footsteps reaching to where he was sitting.

"What do you want, Snape?"

Looking up, he saw Lily standing over him. As he got up he immediately saw she was aggressive and also tired. A part of him was happy that Mary listened to him, but another was a little scared too. Now he was at a loss of words. The sight of her only made his heart ache even more. He could tell that she had been crying by the puffy red corners of her eyes.

Folding her arms over her night grown, she glared at him.

"If you're not going to get straight to the point, then I might as well go back inside and leave your sorry arse out here, like I should have done."

Getting himself together, Severus tried to keep himself from falling apart in front of her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, almost looking towards the floor.

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry," he looked up, his voice getting more serious and loud.

"Save your breath."

Lily continued to stare at him, her expression still aggressive and disdainful. It was unusual to see Lily so angry like this. She had her moments with James Potter, but this was something else.

"The only reason I'm out here is because Mary told me that you threatened to sleep on the steps all night until I came to talk to you. So you better choose your next words very carefully, Snape. Or else I'm leaving."

Nodding, Snape continued.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to call you..." he stopped, unable to say it. "... that word. It just-"

"Slipped out?" she scoffed, showing no pitty anywhere in her voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. I tried to explain that you're somehow different from all of the other Slytherins, but this year has opened my eyes. You and your little Death Eater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You can't wait to join 'You-Know-Who', can you?"

Snape opened his mouth to reply but stopped before he could utter a word. He was totally lost and didn't even know the answer to the question himself. His stomach was beginning to twist again, almost breaking the strength he had to hold back the tears.

Lily slowly laughed in disgust, her eyes starting to form tears as she turned away.

Snape's heart felt like it was being shattered into a million pieces as he heard her cry.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I didn't mean-"

"-to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Snape. Why should I be any different?"

Severus didn't know how to respond to that. He never gave thought to what the word truly meant to those like Lily. He could barely remember when he started using the word, let alone when he actually did use it. Except for this.

"Lily, please... you're the only friend I have... I... I can't lose you."

Lily turned her head and saw him from the corner of her eye, allowing him to get a glance at the tears for a few seconds.

"It's too late, Snape. You can't change. There's five years of hard evidence to prove it. And I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, and I've chosen mine. This, our friendship, is over."

She walked to the portrait of the Fat Lady and whispered the password. Without looking him straight in the eyes, she whispered, "Goodbye, Snape."

Everything went silent as he watched her disappear from sight, realization fully hitting him straight in the face. It took him a few moments to even begin walking back to the Common Room of his house. The whole time it felt like he was on autopilot mode. Not once did he feel like he was in control of his movements. He felt alienated from his own body.

Once he was back in the Common Room, he didn't even bother going to bed. He instead went straight to the showers once more and turned the water on to full heat. He didn't even feel the burn of the hot water hit against his skin.

Once again, the events of that day played out in his head. It only made his heart tighten in his chest as he remembered every detail. It was slowly sinking in that Lily had officially declared their friendship finished. He had lost the only true friend he had and there was no way he could fix it. He could feel his stomach twisting in a knot again as he leaned his head against the wall.

Sighing to himself, he reached over, grabbed some soap and cleaned himself up for a second time.

Once done, he dried himself off and looked at his clothes on the floor. Wondering how long it had been since he last cleaned them, he took his wand from the ground and casted a cleaning spell, watching as his robes were cleaned by invisible hands in midair. Summoning his pajamas, he dressed for bed and picked up his robes, walking to bed without waking anyone.

Hanging up his robes, he climbed into bed and struggled to go to sleep, his mind still haunted by the events of the day. It took a few more hours until his eyes finally closed and his mind drifted away.

* * *

 _Voices echoed as Severus found himself in a room he didn't remember. In fact, he didn't even remember exactly how he got there. He was supposed to be at Hogwarts, not some muggle room. He looked around and saw a bed, cabinets, a small round table, and also some picture frames hanging on the wall._

 _He walked up to one of the pictures and looked at it. In it, he saw two men, two women and two boys smiling standing together as they smiled. As he studied it, he began to feel that he knew these people._

 _"Please, William, don't do this!" came a distant voice._

 _Severus nearly jumped as he realized he wasn't alone. His first instant thought was to reach for his wand, only to realize it wasn't with him as he found his sides were empty. He slowly moved over towards the door, seeing that it was only slightly open and pulled it back to allow him entrance to a hallway that led to staircase at the end._

 _"I don't have a choice, Michelle. I can't guarantee your safety being here, or with me! They will not hesitate to kill us if I don't try to do this!" a male voice exclaimed._

 _Severus slowly walked over to the stairs and looked down, hoping to see what the commotion was about and who was arguing. While he didn't see anyone, he could tell that the conversation was heated and very serious._

 _"You can hand it over to them!"_

 _"I can't! And even if I did, they will still hunt us down!"_

 _Severus instantly recognized the second voice as a woman's, putting together that they must be the man and woman from the photo he saw._

 _"Then what about us?! We'll be looking over our shoulders, living in fear! I can't live like that, William! Not again!"_

 _"I don't like this anymore than you do, but there is no other way out of this. I'm cut off from my people, unless if I can find a way back and warn them. But I can't do that while worrying about all of you. All I can do now is make sure that you're all safe. Your brother is in Salem and the most capable of keeping you hidden. He'll be able to protect you and-"_

 _Severus heard something behind him as he stood at the edge of the steps and turned around to find a little boy in pajamas just a couple of feet away, holding a little crocodile stuffed animal against his chest. The two stared at each other, almost as if they recognized one another._

 _"Do you..." Severus spoke, though it felt like his voice was on auto-pilot. "Do you know what they're talking about?"_

 _The little boy nodded and buried his face into the stuffed crocodile._

 _"It's a secret. Mommy and daddy told me not to tell anyone..."_

 _Suddenly, everything began to change before him and Severus found himself looking at different images. He saw dark hooded bodies on the ground, including a small pool of blood. He saw green flames all around the house, consuming everything within._

 _He saw a woman's body turning to ash._

 _And last, he saw the young boy being grabbed by an unknown, cloaked figure as the house began crumbling before them in flames._

 _The voices repeated what they said in fast-motion, like echoes down a dark tunnel._

* * *

Severus quickly shot up in his bed, his whole chest and face covered in sweat as he breathed heavily. He looked around and realized he was back at Hogwarts, back in the dormitory of House Slytherin. Whether or not he had been mumbling or screaming during his nightmare, he didn't know for sure. But if he did, then at least the _silence charm_ he kept around his bed made sure not to wake the others.

He placed his head between his hands and calmed himself down, getting his breathing under control. As he laid back against the sheets, he couldn't help but remember everything he saw from the dream. But it felt more than just dream, it felt... _real._

* * *

 **Okay, so how did I do for the first chapter?**

 **I went through and tried to correct as many grammar errors as I could find, but sadly... I'm not an editor. Everything I do is pretty much just me. So I apologize if there are any misspelled, missing or misplaced words. Also, I deeply apologize for any cheesy or weird dialogue. I try to keep it as close to what a normal human would say.**

 **Not going to lie, I am kinda having a hard time trying to write Lily's character. James was a little easy, considering he is a bully during this time period, but Lily was different. I wanted to show her compassion and loving side, while also showing a side of herself that she has limits and will stand up for herself, even if it means going through heartbreak. But I'm also wanting to show that she does have flaws and that there's a reason why she can't help Severus.**

 **Speaking of Severus, I'm still trying to figure out how to play his character out. I want there to be redemption and show that he still has a caring side of others to him, but I also want to make it more believable and try to show the struggle of his change. Like I said, it's all a work in progress and... oh, please be good! I'm really nervous about this one!**

 **Alright, so enough about me. Thank you for reading and (maybe) I'll see you guys in chapter 2. Take care and have a good day (or night, whatever time it is for you).**


	2. Changing

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Hopefully this chapter goes well. I spent an entire night writing this and a few long hours trying to edit what I can. I do love writing stories, but the editing is the one thing I hate so much.**

 **I want to thank all of those who added this to their favorite and/or alert lists. I hope I can keep you wanting more with this story. I really want to continue writing this.**

 **Oh, and disclaimer: "I do not own Harry Potter or the characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and anyone else who has some form of rights to the books and/or movies."**

 **But, anyway, here is chapter two! Please enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

 **Changing**

* * *

"Tell me, Severus, how often do you have these dreams?" Professor Roland Vector asked as he poured two cups of tea for Severus and himself.

Roland Vector was the Hogwarts professor for Muggle Studies, having spent most of his life traveling and living among the Muggles. But it wasn't the fact that he knew so much about Muggles that attracted Severus to him, but rather his rumored talent for the mental studying of the human mind at one point in his life.

"Um, every night, sir," he replied, sitting straight in the chair he was in.

Roland turned to him with the two glass cups and handed one to him, which he accepted with a nod.

"And when did these dreams start?" stirring the tea with a spoon of honey as he sat down at his desk.

Severus swallowed as he held the cup in his hands, staring into it.

It had been a full week since what happened with Lily, and everyday was torture for him. He would barely walk through the hallways of Hogwarts to class, oblivious to the students passing him. Never in his life had he left so alone as he did now. No one had even noticed his behavior, with the exception of a few Slytherins. But it was never out of concern, just curiosity. A part of Severus wanted to be mad at them for thinking his pain was nothing, but he couldn't find it within himself to be mad. In fact, he barely did anything or felt anything, aside from the feeling of ' _loneliness_ '. He would stare off into distance, his expression blank and his eyes red with tiredness.

Even his dreams offered no escape or safe haven from the pain within himself. The dreams were all the same just like the first night. The arguing of the man and woman, the little boy with the crocodile animal pillow, and the burning house with the dark hooded figures. Every night it was the same, and he was getting very little sleep because of it.

It was on the sixth day that Severus had decided to go see someone about it. He originally had thought about going to the Head of his House, but decided against it for Professor Vector instead.

"A full week ago," Severus answered.

Nodding, Vector sat his cup on the desk and continued to study him.

"Very odd that you would have the same dreams over and over. I've heard of similar cases, but they at least either went away on their own or began to alter over time. Are you absolutely sure that nothing was different after the first night?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Tell me the dream again, and this time keep your attention fully on me when you tell it. I need to study your reactions."

Severus looked up and met his eyes, breathing in as he began.

"It always begins in this bedroom of some Muggle home. The first thing that happens is that I'm looking around and come across the same picture, the one with the two men, two women and also two children. I always look towards it for some reason... like as if I long for something. I feel like I recognize the people in it, but yet I don't. Then I hear a loud arguement coming from outside the room and I go to investigate. I'm on the top floor and standing at the edge of the steps that lead downstairs. I can hear the man and woman from the photo arguing about something important."

"How do you know it's the man and woman from the photo?" Vector asked.

Severus tried to answer but shut his mouth at the last second, not entirely sure how he knew exactly.

"I... don't know..."

"They could have been friends of the people from the photo, or maybe even family-related."

"No, I don't think so."

"But how do you know?" Vector pressed.

Severus could feel his tolerance running thin. He hated being questioned like he knew nothing. He wanted to shout at Roland to shut up, but the moment he thought that he immediately was reminded of Lily Evans and the last time he let his mouth run free. His anger was quickly disappeared as he struggled to push the memory aside and continue.

"I'm not sure. It's like I just know."

Vector nodded and motioned him to continue.

"I stand there at the steps and listen to the conversation between them. The woman addresses the man as William, demanding that he hand over _something_ to some people. But the man disagrees with her and says that even if he did, these people will still kill them. He says that he needs to leave and..." he stopped.

"Go on."

Severus swallowed, "He says he can send her and others away to a safe place. A place called Salem, I think. But it sounded like he didn't plan to stay as well."

Vector raised his eyebrow curiously.

"And why would he leave the people he cares for?"

Becoming nervous, he took a drink of the tea and calmed himself.

"He said he needs to find these other people of his. If I hazard a guess, I think it was to get them to confront these people who are out to kill him and his family."

Vector narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, becoming more interested.

"Not to frustrate you, Severus, but you are certain that the details of the conversation happened in the first dream, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"I apologize, my young student. I don't mean to question you so much. It's only the process of understanding and confirming the details. This is, after all, the second time you're going into depth of the dream. But I am curious, what is it that this man, William, has that is so valuable that these _people_ would want to kill him just to get their hands on it? And why would the man want to blackmail them when he could contact authorities?"

"I'm not sure. But the woman, Michelle, was scared about the safety of the herself and the man. They also mention others being involved as well."

"So the woman's name is Michelle. Did this William address her by that name?"

"Yes."

Vector began rubbing his chin.

"And now we get to the boy you saw within your dreams. What did he look like?"

The image of the boy appeared in his head, almost like a fresh memory that wouldn't fade.

"He had black hair, looked to be between ages five to six years old and was wearing some Muggle pajamas. But the most noticeable thing was that he held onto a crocodile-shaped stuffed pillow. He buried his face into it before everything started to go dark on me."

"You said that the boy said something to you. What was it?"

Now Severus was at the point of the dream that he feared the most. Not of the boy, but rather the images that always flashed before him. Even fully awaken he got goose bumps just thinking about him.

"I asked him if he knew what the man and woman were talking about, and he replied to me, _'It's a secret. Mommy and daddy told me not to tell anyone.'_ "

"So, the young boy saw and communicated with you." His eyes showed a hint of surprise. "How interesting! What else happened after that?"

Severus swallowed and drank the last of the tea from his cup, preparing himself.

"I saw images flashing before me. I saw the very same house on fire, dark hooded people on the ground, a pool of blood as the flames consumed everything. I see a woman's body turn to dust. I also saw the same boy being picked up by someone. I couldn't get a good look at who it was, but the scariest thing about this part of the dream is that the exact same conversation is played over and over at a very fast-pace. That's always when I wake up."

For a few moments Vector stared at him and began thinking to himself, taking in everything he had just heard.

The silence was almost driving Severus crazy. He wanted answers, but also didn't have the right questions to ask either.

"Sir, what do these dreams mean?"

Drinking the rest of his tea, Vector gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, lad, but I don't have the answer to that question. Dreams are a very interesting thing. They aren't always clear and can often times be part of our imagination."

"But why am I having them? It feels random that it would suddenly come out of nowhere. Something had to have triggered it."

"Well, I have a few theories as to why you are having this dream. One is that you are experiencing a childhood memory, but seeing as that your mother and father aren't named Michelle and William, it lowers the chances of that. The second is that it could very well be of something your mind made up. People have been known to dream stuff up from certain things like those. But that doesn't explain why you keep having this dream repeatedly. The brain shouldn't be obsessive over something like that... _unless_..."

He paused and the expression on his face lit up at a realization.

Severus couldn't take the silence for a second longer, but he managed to keep himself calm for Vector's sake.

"Unless what, Professor?"

Vector began rubbing his chin again, "The only other explanation is that you're recovering a memory through pain. Not physical pain, mind you. But emotional pain."

Severus sighed to himself, not satisfied with the answer he was given.

Vector quickly saw the disappointment in his eyes and couldn't help but feel pity for him.

"I'm sorry, Severus, I do wish I had an actual answer to what you're looking for, but all I can offer is advise. If you truly want to know what these dreams mean, then you're going to have to start seeking the answers yourself, because only you can do it. I just hope you find closure when you do."

Severus nodded and stood up, placing the tea cup on the desk.

"Thank you, Professor."

As he walked to the door, he could feel Vector's eyes on him. Just as his hand was on the knob, he heard him getting up from his chair.

"There's... something different about you," he stated with a hint of suspicion and also admiration in his voice. "I remember a boy who was always angry, always aggressive to anyone who, or anything that, annoys him. While you may not be exactly like your other housemates, I can tell that you are very impatient. But this past week, and also just this meeting alone, you haven't seemed annoyed by my lectures."

He paused as he studied him, " _You're_ _changing_."

Severus turned his head to the side, but he didn't look directly at Vector. He began to think about what he had just said and quickly darted out the door as he felt something inside his heart. Something he hadn't felt before.

He was nearly running as he made way to the Common Room of his House. His mind was going back and forth on what happened in the office with Professor Vector. Why was he being so... _civil_? And why did he feel relieved from being so?

"Leave us alone!"

Severus stopped in his tracks and turned to see where the noise was coming from.

Just down the hallway on his left he saw two girls being surrounded by a couple of Slytherins. He couldn't tell who it was they were picking on but a part of him was screaming to just walk away and not to get involved. And he almost did exactly that... until what happened next sent him into a fit of rage.

One of the Slytherins pushed one of the girls and she fell onto the floor, her bag slipping out of her hands and school books piling onto the floor.

The sight made Severus remember a certain incident involving James Potter and his Marauders during third year. They had pulled a prank where he had gotten tangled in some string that he didn't see while walking and had to untangle himself while they laughed at him. The string had also cut into his robes and a little bit into his flesh, forcing him to go to the Hospital Wing, right after picking up his fallen books.

The very sight before him brought back the anger of that memory and he found himself running towards them, his face red and his hands made into fists.

"Ah, the poor little _mudblood-lover_ lost her balance and made a mess with her books," mocked the Slytherin who pushed her. "It must be hard living with mudbloods within Gryffindor, doesn't it Alice? You're a traitor to the pure-blood society."

"Leave her alone, Jax!" screamed the other girl as she knelt down beside her friend, using the side of her shoulder to protect them from what was coming next.

"Don't tell me what to do!" exclaimed Jax. "You're nothing compared to us! We are the Dark Lord's se-OOPH!"

He didn't see the figure coming towards him as he was suddenly tackled from the side and sent crashing onto the hard floor. Before he could understand what was going on, he felt two fists hitting him on every corner of his body. He tried putting up his arms to protect himself, but it was no good.

Severus never felt so much anger in his entire life. He unleashed all of it unto the one known as Jax Cronch below him. The two barely knew each other, despite being in the same house, but it didn't matter to him at the moment. He wanted to make him pay, to see him hurt.

The other four Slytherins were so shocked by what they were seeing that it took a couple of moments to finally get themselves together and do something. It took all of them to pull Severus off of Jax, but even then it was a struggle to keep him from going right back at it. He nearly screamed as he turned his attention to the other four Slytherins and started delivering punches to them, forcing them to let go of him as the sound of each hit reflected off the walls. He sent them running, and he nearly went after them until he heard Jax moaning from the pain, getting his attention.

Turning back to the beaten Slytherin on the ground, he slowly began to walk up to him.

Jax's eyes widened with fear as he saw how red Severus's face was, especially the anger deep within his eyes. He tried crawling away, ignoring the pain he was feeling.

"No, please, wait!" he begged. "My parents will hear of this! I swear you will be puni-"

He didn't even finish his sentence as Severus delivered another punch to his face, nearly knocking him out. As he grabbed him by the collar of his Hogwarts uniform, he prepared to punch him again, until he saw the blood on his knuckles and realized he had broken Jax's nose. Getting his anger under control, he brought Jax's face right up to his and he stared deep into his eyes.

Jax eyes were filled with fear as he tried to look away, whimpering in pain.

"If I ever see you do anything like that again, I swear that a broken nose will be the least of your problems!" he whispered in a serious tone. "Do you understand?!"

Jax quickly nodded and Severus let go of him, allowing his head to bounced off the floor. Backing away, he watched as Jax picked himself off the floor, holding his broken nose, and made a run for it down the hallway.

A few moments passed as Severus calmed himself down and released his hands, allowing them to stretch. Turning back to the two girls, he saw that they were looking at him with big eyes. He could see fear, confusion and a little bit of suspicion aimed right towards him.

Wiping the blood off his hand, he walked forward, picking up the books off the ground and put them inside the bag again. He then offered his hand to the two girls on the ground, who were still looking at him with shock.

Finally snapping out of it, the one known as Alice took his hand and helped her to her feet. The other refused and got up herself, still keeping him within her sights.

"Thank- thank you," Alice broke the silence. "For... helping us."

Severus looked at her with surprise and felt the same thing he felt earlier in Vector's office. He didn't know how to truly feel at that moment and was suddenly looking for a way out.

"Um, yeah, no problem," he looked away and then placed her bag into her hands. "Here's your school stuff. Sorry about what happened..."

Without any warning, he began running away from them. He ran through the castle until he came to the entrance of the Common Room of the his house and said the password, letting him in. He ignored all the questionable faces everyone was giving him as he rushed to his dormitory, slamming the door shut. He kicked off his shoes and jumped into bed, burying his face into the pillow.

His mind was in a riot at the moment.

 _What the hell did I just do?!_

* * *

Both Alice Fortescue and Rachel Jayden stared in awe as they watched _Severus Snape_ himself run down the hall. Even after he disappeared from sight they kept their eyes glued to the spot they last saw him, unable to process what had just happened. One minute they were having a good day watching the Quidditich boys practice, and admiring the view. Then the next, they found themselves at the mercy of Jax Cronch and his gang of Slytherins.

But what happened next was beyond belief and beyond real to them. They had witnessed Severus Snape tackle one of his fellow house members, continue to beat him and the other four, and then threatened to do worse if they ever did what they had just done again. But the biggest surprise of all was that Severus had picked up Alice's books and offered to help them off the floor, like a gentleman.

While Alice was quick to take his hand and thank him, Rachel was still suspicious of the boy who was standing before them. She knew who Severus was, and everything he had done was completely against his character. He was a pure-blood prat. A Slytherin, none-the-less! He never helped anyone, especially when it came to one of his own. But yet, here he was, defending them against others of his own house.

" _Oookkaayy_ ," Alice turned to her best friend. "That just happened."

"Yeah," Rachel responded. "We should get back to the Common Room before that asshole Jax comes back with a teacher this time."

Nodding in agreement, they both made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

"Should we tell the others?" Rachel asked, breaking the silence.

"Of course we should!" Alice squealed with excitement. "I cannot wait to see the looks on their faces when we tell them. Oh, and what about Lily? How do you think she'll react when she finds out?"

Rachel's stomach dropped as she remembered Lily. Everyone knew about what had happened between her and Snape last week. He had called her the most horrible word ever created in existence and had went to apologize to her later on after. While no one heard the exact words exchanged between the two of them, they all knew that Lily had ended her friendship with him. Many praised her decision, especially a very famous Quidditich Seeker.

She overheard Mary McDonald telling others that Lily had been crying the whole night, including the whole week.

"Do we have to tell? I mean, Lily has been through enough as it is and I don't want to rub more salt into fresh wounds while she is still healing."

"Oh, come on! I understand that Lily had a falling out with Snape and that she doesn't want to talk about him, but that doesn't mean we can't tell anyone else besides her. We can make sure that the others keep quiet about the subject around her. And besides, this is very much different than anything she's ever heard before. _Severus Snape helped us!_ How on Earth can that be a burden to Lily?"

Rachel sighed, a little annoyed with the girl's naive belief that they could keep this quiet. She touched the side of Alice's shoulder to bring them to a stop.

"Well, here's an idea that we never gave any thought to. What if Snape only did what he did to manipulate us into getting Lily to think he is changing?"

Alice's mouth dropped in shock.

"Rachel! How can you say such a thing?! You didn't see what I saw in his eyes. He looked scared and confused, not a bloody evil mastermind."

"But he's a Slytherin!" Rachel fought back. "Don't you find it weird that he would suddenly be helping the likes of us just a week after what happened with Lily? I'm telling you, he's up to something."

Alice rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Rachel, can you for once put aside your grudge and accept that people can change?"

"And can you put aside your naïve mind to accept that some people can't change?"

They stared at each other before continuing their walk back to Gryffindor in silence, both taking the other's words to heart as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Once they entered the Common Room, Alice ran to the nearest group of girls she could find, almost skipping across the room.

Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled, joining in as Alice began their story.

* * *

 **I had a little hard time trying to figure out how to continue from where chapter one left off and there were a couple of different versions.** **I wanted show Severus changing within this chapter, while also having a bit of conflict that is messing with his state of mind. After all, change is never an easy thing. I felt that showing how he is reacting to everything, even within his own mind, would help the story. Or at least I hope it does.**

 **I should verify that the one known as Alice Fortescue is actually the future Alice Longbottom, the mother of Neville Longbottom. I decided to use her maiden name as Fortescue because of a rumor online that it could very well be her former last name in the novels.**

 **As for the other girl known as Rachel Jayden, she is a created character as a friend for Alice.**

 **Oh, which reminds me, do you guys want to see more of Alice and Rachel in the future?**

 **Oh, before I forget, I want to thank two people, "Mr. Reader" and also "actionliker", for leaving a review on the first chapter. It means a lot to me as a writer and I'm glad that I got your attention.**

 **Also, message to "actionliker":** _ **"Did this chapter get you to add this to your 'alert list'?"**_

 **Well, that's all for now. I'll see you all later in chapter three! :)**


	3. The Fallout

**Redemption**

* * *

 **So sorry for the long wait since last month! I didn't mean to keep you guys waiting for the next chapter. I've been busy with work, getting my taxes done, watching** _ **DareDevil, Jessica Jones**_ **and** _ **Agents of SHIELD**_ **. So I guess a lot of it has to do with being lazy (but, hey, who doesn't like being lazy every once and a while ;)).**

 **But, anyway, part of the reason I haven't updated was because I've been planning ahead on what the story is going to be. I've already stated that I have some of the plot elements and direction figured out, but I still needed to know just how exactly the whole story was going to go down and I've already figured out the first half of it. But the good news is I know exactly what I want to do. And I'm so excited! ;)**

 **Please enjoy chapter three! (I know its been a long wait ;))**

* * *

 **Chapter Three:**

 **The Fallout**

* * *

Severus laid on his bed for almost the remainder of the day, staring up at the ceiling of the dormitory. He was thinking about skipping dinner in the Great Hall after what had happened earlier. He wanted nothing more than to sink into his bed and disappear from the face of the Earth. But he knew that sooner or later he would have to face the consequences of his actions and he hated prolonging the inevitable. It was in his nature to find a solution to the problem that was placed before him.

Sighing to himself, Severus got up from his bed and showered before redressing in his old Hogwarts uniform and left the Common Room.

As he walked to the Great Hall he noticed how other Slytherins glared at him as he passed them. Some with expressions of hatred, confusion, sympathy, or a combination of some sort of the three. He instantly knew that news had spread quickly about what had happened with Jax and him. The Gryffindors might have had a part in helping the word spread, but even if the two girls had kept their mouths shut, which would be a cold day in hell if that ever happened, Jax and his gang would have definitely made sure to tell all the _right_ people.

And the weird part was that he didn't even blame the Gryffindors this time. Maybe the first few hours he did, but after cooling himself down with some alone-time he came to the conclusion that this was all on him. Yes, the two Gryffindors were there when it happened and witnessed everything, but it was he who interfered when his subconscious told him not to. It was he who broke Jax's nose and helped the two girls on his own free-will. He also didn't even blame Jax or his gang either. They were accountable for bullying the girls, but they never provoked him into interfering in the first place.

Severus understood and accepted that everything he had done was of his own doing.

Just as he was about to enter the Great Hall a voice stopped him.

"Severus Snape!"

Closing his eyes and silently sighing, he turned towards Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, Head of House Slytherin. He met his eyes and nodded.

"Professor."

Nodding back, Slughhorn moved slightly to the side and moved his left arm towards the hallway behind him.

"Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and me would like to see you for a moment. It is rather urgent. About a certain incident that needs explaining on your behalf, seeing how you were involved. Shall we?"

It didn't surprise Severus that Slughorn wasn't mad about his violent behavior towards Jax. It was no secret that the Head of Slytherin disapproved of almost all of the members of the House. One of the great many rumors of Hogwarts was that all of Slytherin were destined to become Death Eaters one day, and it was almost a fact in the last few years, since He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named started gaining power.

While Slughhorn maybe a pureblood, he had sympathy, and a huge fascination, towards _muggles_ and _muggleborns._ He didn't believe in the pureblood beliefs and made sure to let everyone know about it.

Despite his bumbling, jovial personality, Slughorn did have a good heart.

Severus nodded and followed the Professor up to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. The walk was silent and a little unnerving. He really didn't want to be in this situation, but he at least felt a little glad for having a reason to skip dinner. He wasn't feeling hungry anyway. And as much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to be sitting across from the Gryffindor table, where Lily would be. Just knowing she would be there spent spikes at his heart and he wanted nothing more than to just drop dead in the hallway. Anything would be a blessing than living.

A funny line popped into his head from a book he once read a few years back.

' _Death is easy, living is hard.'_

Whoever the author was, Snape was definitely one hundred percent in full agreement.

As they arrived at the large stone gargoyle of the entrance to the office, Slughorn said the password and it opened for them, revealing a sparling, stone staircase that led up. Once arriving at the top, they walked on through the doorway and arrived in a circular room, where more people were waiting for them.

He saw Dumbledore and McGonagall, who were standing in front of the headmaster's desk. He quickly saw that the two Gryffindor girls were there too, both of whom looked nervous and on the verge of crying.

But the last person he was dreading to see was Jax Cronch, who was standing on the opposite side of the girls. Studying him over, he realized that his nose was fixed and had a smile on his face that completely spelled out _vengeance_.

Anger rose in him as he looked at the Slytherin. He questioned himself on why he felt this anger towards someone he barely knew. James and the Marauders were different, as they earned his hatred over the years of bullying him

"Ah, you've found him," Dumbledore smiled as soon as he saw them enter. "Mr. Snape, I believe you know why you are here."

Severus nodded, keeping his expression blank.

"Mr. Cronch, here, arrived at the infirmary earlier today with a broken nose and some cracked ribs, which thankfully were not broken."

Severus almost snorted but withheld it, not wanting to upset the Headmaster or the two Professors in the room.

"After being healed by Madam Pomfrey, he quickly informed Professor Slughorn about you attacking him, unprovoked, and using _muggle_ violence against him. He says that he was going about his day with his friends and was, in his own words, _ambushed_." He paused for a second. "He claims that you didn't act alone in the assault. That Miss Fortescue and Miss Jayden helped you." He then turned his attention to the girls. "But they claim that Jax was bullying them and that you intervened and attacked him on your own account. And now, with such information, I wish to get your side of the story, Mr. Snape."

Everyone's attention was now on him.

Meeting Jax's eyes, Severus saw the expression on his face. One that threatened to make him pay if he didn't go along with his story instead of the girls. The anger doubled itself as he realized this and he wanted nothing more than to see his lies fall apart. Looking back at the Headmaster, Severus began.

"Earlier today I met with Professor Roland Vector in his office, talk to him if you need to, he'll confirm it, and I was heading back to the Slytherin Common Room after I was done there. However, while on my way back, I saw Jax Cronch and his _friends_ bullying Miss Fortescue and Miss Jayden in the hallways-"

"That's not what happened!" Jax interrupted, his face turning red.

"Quiet, Mr. Cronch," Dumbledore spoke in a calm, but serious voice. "You may speak once Mr. Snape is done." He nodded for him to continue.

"He called Miss Fortescue a _Mudblood-lover_ and said she was a traitor. I..." His next words failed to leave his mouth. He honestly didn't know exactly what to say next. "... and I intervened. I broke his nose out of anger and told him never to do it again. Afterwards I went straight to my dormitory."

Dumbledore watched him, using his skills in _Legilimency_ to read his mind.

Even though Severus had begun teaching himself _Occlumency_ , he dared not to raise his shields against the Headmaster. There was no reason to resist him and he knew that the old man already used it on both Jax and the girls. Letting him into his mind would allow for his story to match up with the Gryffindor girls and turn the tables on Jax.

But even then he knew there would still be a price to pay. His violent actions against Jax would earn him detention. And as for Jax, he would lose House Slytherin a large number of points and be given a much bigger amount of detentions than him.

But the one thing that surprisingly was fine in all of this was that the two girls would be safe from any punishment. Just knowing that Jax's stupid attempt to strike back against the girls would backfire on him made Severus smile. He may hold a great grudge against Gryffindors, but he hated liars and bullies almost as much as he hated James Potter and Sirius Black.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I believe you, Mr. Snape. I admire your willingness to help these two girls when they needed it and also for telling the truth, but your violent actions towards Mr. Cronch must require some punishment. You above all should know better than to let your emotions control you. I think two days of detention will do. Professor Slughorn will oversee that you stay for these detentions in his office. And as for you, Mr. Cronch..."

He then turned to the shocked Slytherin, who's face was turning more red by the second.

"Professor Dumbledore, you can't listen to them! They're lying!"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him.

"It seems to me that you are the one who is lying, Mr. Cronch. I expected more from you. As such, because of your actions here today, I am taking away one hundred points from House Slytherin and giving you detention through the rest of the year, which will be done under the supervision of Professor McGonagall in her office. Every time you fail to arrive for each detention, ten points will be taken from Slytherin."

"But... sir... you can't do this!"

"I am doing this, Mr. Cronch. No one is above the rules or laws of the Wizarding World, especially purebloods." He clapped his hands together and turned towards everyone else. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, I trust that you are aware of the detentions I have set?"

Both McGonagall and Slughorn nodded.

"Splendid. Now, run along, my young students. Enjoy the night while it is still young."

As everyone was exiting the room, except Dumbledore, Severus caught Alice and Rachel for a second, seeing the shocked expressions on their faces before they quickly made way for the Great Hall.

He saw Jax was glaring at him with an angry expression. He quickly walked in the opposite direction of the Great Hall, deciding to skip dinner and wait in the Common Room.

Every time he took a step he could feel a sense of dread rising in his stomach. He knew the night was far from over and he was going to be the center of attention for the rest of it.

* * *

The Gryffindor table watched with anticipation as Alice and Rachel walked into the Great Hall, taking their seats as everyone started throwing questions and demands at them.

 _"What happened?!"_

 _"Did Jax and Snape get you in trouble?!"_

 _"Please tell me that Snape didn't throw you under the bus to save his sorry arse!"_

 _"Tell us what happened!"_

 _"I'm dying to know!"_

As everyone started to calm down, Rachel and Alice leaned towards each other, covering their mouths so no one could hear them.

"Should we tell them everything?" Alice whispered.

"Well, seeing how you already spoiled what happened earlier today, I see no reason in not telling them."

Nodding, they sat straight up and turned to their fellow Gryffindors in front of them.

Filled with excitement, Alice began.

"Okay, so Dumbledore called us to his office along with Jax, while Professor Slughorn went to find Snape. McGonagall was also there as well."

"Get to the parts we _don't_ know!" complained a third year boy.

"Shut up, Edward!" a fourth year girl shoot back. "You're ruining the story."

Alice continued without acknowledging the interruption.

"Anyway, Dumbledore got Jax's _pathetic_ side of the story and then got ours, just as Slughorn came back with Snape in tow."

"And?" someone asked.

Alice and Rachel simultaneously turned to one another, trying to process what they had witnessed just earlier ago. A part of them wondered if anyone at the table would believe it or not. Even they were still having a hard time believing it.

Alice swallowed.

"Snape... told Dumbledore what happened and was given two days worth of detention for breaking Jax's nose. While Jax on the other hand got detention for the rest of the year and lost Slytherin a hundred points for what he and his friends did."

An awkward silence filled the Gryffindor table.

Despite the fact that she had said Slytherin was now behind a hundred points, she could tell that the information was still being processed into their heads. Some stared in awe at her, while others just had a shocked expression.

Looking around, both Alice and Rachel met the eyes Lily Evans, who immediately turned away, hiding her face behind her red hair.

Right then they both felt regret in mentioning Snape with her present. While they had tried to make sure the news of what happened earlier that day didn't reach her ears, it was a failed attempt from the very beginning. Whenever a piece of news or rumor was in the air, it was destined to find its way to every corner of Hogwarts. And it was obvious she knew everything now.

Both Alice and Rachel had continued their argument over Severus Snape's strange behavior since the incident. While Alice was sure that this was a new turnover, Rachel on the other hand thought the opposite. She saw his behavior as a way of trying to win back Lily, and that he would continue to act like all sad and sorry until he had her forgiveness and friendship back.

But after what happened in Dumbledore's office, they both knew that something else was going on. Whatever triggered his response to help them, not once but twice, was due to something else. Was what happened with Lily part of it? They suspected so. But there was something else that they couldn't explain that was behind it all.

"So, wait..." someone broke the silence. "Severus Snape, as in ' _the Severus Snape'_ , actually told the truth and landed himself detention, when he had the perfect opportunity to save himself by landing the blame on you?"

Alice nodded.

"I don't buy it!" Sirius Black hit the table with his fist. "Snivellus Snape definitely has something up his sleeve! Just you wait, he will make sure there is hell to pay when the time is right!"

On his right, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew nodded in agreement, while Remus Lupin was indifferent about the whole thing. Other Gryffindors either nodded as well or remained in doubt.

"Wait, you said the Slytherin who attacked you two was Jax Cronch, right?" a fifth year boy asked.

"That's right," Rachel answered.

"I didn't know that Bartemius Crouch had another family member, other than his own son, in Slytherin. Makes me feel even more sorry for him, despite that the man maybe a little too hardcore for my taste."

"No, you idiot!" the same fourth year girl from earlier hit him on the head.

"Ow!" the boy rubbed the spot she smacked him on.

"Bartemius comes from the _Crouch_ family, with a _U_. Jax's family name has an _N_. Seriously, get your spelling and history right!"

The boy glared at her.

"Well, _excuse me_ , Miss Party-Pooper! Not everyone's life is a book you know!"

Some of the students laughed.

"Getting off track here guys!" another fifth year yelled out.

"But seriously, what is going on with Snape recently?" Mary McDonald spoke up, getting the attention of every Gryffindor at the table. "Through the whole week, until today, he has been more quiet than usual. Even the Slytherins seem to be wondering the same thing. Why would he suddenly turn on one his own house members to defend two Gryffindors? No offense guys."

"None taken," Alice and Rachel smiled.

"The point is this," came the voice of James Potter. "Snivellus Snape is still the creepy, disgusting, Death-Eater-wanna-be Slytherin since the day he stepped foot onto Hogwarts. And besides, he just turned on one of his own. That alone should tell you the kind of person he is. So what is there to question? Mock my words, he will be back to normal before we all know it."

Many heads around the table, including Sirius, nodded in agreement.

However, both Alice and Rachel couldn't help but question his logic. Which isn't saying much, considering when it comes to James Potter there was very little logic with him to begin with. Sure, Severus was a Slytherin and it was no secret he was into the Dark Arts, but nothing James had said explained his actions of today. Why would he give a damn about two Gryffindors? A house that was his sworn enemy. Why would he allow himself to get detention when he could have easily blamed them and saved himself?

None of it made sense.

It wasn't long before the conversation was lost and everything returned to normal as everyone began to eat.

* * *

Sitting near the edge of the couch, Severus had his hands folded and his heart was beating in his chest. A small chill ran down his spine, making him shiver.

He knew that there would be fallout from this. Jax would have already told Avery, Mulciber, Nott, Rosier, Wilkes, and the Lestrange Brothers about what he did. There was no doubt that there would be vengeance tonight. Even if he managed to avoid it, which was highly less likely, there would always be the morning and every other day after that.

He knew he was going to have to face the consequences.

He began to question himself of what he had done and what it truly meant for everything in his life. Would this ruin his chance of becoming a Death Eater? Would his attempt to get accepted by his house be destroyed because of him helping two blood-traitor Gryffindors?

The moment he thought of that word he immediately felt regret and hatred towards himself. Every time he found himself thinking the words mudblood or blood-traitor he would become irritated with himself. And even though he knew the reason why he felt this way, he couldn't help but wonder why it never worn off. Lily definitely had ways of making him feel terrible for using such words, but he would always find himself reverting back to his usual Slytherin self once he was out of her presence. Now that he was constantly out of her presence, the same method wasn't working. In fact, he couldn't stand hearing those words whenever he heard a Slytherin use them to desbribe a person.

What did those words even mean anyway? Why should they suddenly make someone terrible because of something so stupid as what kind of blood they have?

The more and more he questioned himself of these things he suddenly began to find himself not wanting to be a Death Eater. If anything, he would be okay if everyone who was involved with Death Eaters or the Dark Lord himself suddenly left him alone. His 'so-called' friends never offered him support or comfort after what happened with Lily. Even before that they never really cared about what was happening with him.

The anger was back again and he began to blame Slytherin for losing Lily. They had drilled the whole pureblood rule and mudblood stuff into his head, making it sound all noble. And it had cost him his relationship with the only person in the entire world who cared about him.

But he quickly found himself accepting the fact that all of the fault was on him. In the end, it was him who allowed his mouth to run free and hurt her. It was him who allowed himself to become brainwashed by his own house.

Lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly brought back to reality when he heard the doorway opening up in the Common Room.

Slytherins appeared and immediately took notice of him sitting there. He dared not to look up, worried he would be met with anger or sympathy from some of them. He didn't want to be reminded of what was coming for him.

A small group of Slytherins walked in front of the crowd. They stared at him with great hatred in their eyes, wands drawn. A few looked towards the crowd and waved their wands at them, signaling them to return to their rooms.

Even the perfects didn't object as everyone left the room.

As silence settled, Severus could feel the eyes of the small group of Slytherins burning holes right through him. Even for him the silence was too much and made everything feel eerie.

Sighing to himself, he looked up and met the eyes of the very people he didn't want to see.

Avery, Mulciber, Nott, Rosier, Wilkes, the Lestrange Brothers, Jax Cronch and also, surprisingly, Regulus Black all stood before him. Their faces were red with anger.

He studied each person and knew that there was no way he could win this fight against ten people. He'd be lucky to take out three of them before they dropped him and took away his wand.

While he maybe more experienced, he knew he was out of his league with all of them combined. They were feared in House Slytherin for a reason. They had others in their group, but they were the main players. The real masterminds who kept the group functioning and powerful.

The only other group who could challenge them, outside of the teachers and the headmaster, were the Marauders.

The two leaders of the group, Avery and Mulciber, stepped forward.

"So, Snape," Avery spoke. "Care to explain what Jax has been telling us?"

Looking into his eyes, he carefully moved his hand into his robes and took his wand in his hand, keeping it covered with the fabric.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

Mulciber snorted and pointed his wand at him.

"Don't play innocent with us, Snape. Jax told us what you did."

Avery nodded in acknowledge with his friend and continued to glare at Severus.

"You attacked him when he was putting a couple of _blood-traitors_ in their place. And then you proceeded to break his nose and threaten him not to do it again. But the worst part was that you had a chance to redeem yourself in our eyes by blaming those two Gryffindors and clearing Jax. Have you forgotten what the Slytherin name stands for?!"

"And what does it stand for? Please, enlighten me!" Snape grew angry with each passing second. Memories of all the times he was bullied by James Potter and never once received helped by any of them.

"It represents the pureblood society of those who are better than _muggles_ and lowborns of the Wizarding World! It represents that we are destined to rule over all, because we are better than everyone else!"

Avery and the others nodded, smiling.

"And how are any of you better than others?" Snape questioned him.

Mulciber's expression changed to anger and he stepped forward, almost pressing the wand into Severus's face.

"Don't test me, Snape! You maybe not be a _mudblood_ , but you are a _half-blood_ , and the fact that the pureblood society is tolerating your kind should make you be grateful to us. You shouldn't even be allowed to speak to me without bowing or addressing me in a fashion matter. I sometimes wonder if the Dark Lord should add you to the list of races that should be extinguished. Just like your little _mudblood_ friend-"

Suddenly Severus was no longer sitting on the couch. The moment he heard the words leave Mulciber's mouth, he had leaped up from where he was sitting and sent a _Stupefy_ spell directly at the others behind him and Avery. Thanks to them all being so close together, the spell managed to knock all of them down at once.

Bringing his fist into Avery's mouth, he could hear the impact of the punch as it sent the boy falling to ground with a _thud_.

Turning his attention back to Mulciber, who was frozen with shock by how fast Severus was, sent another _Stupefy_ spell directly him. He watched with a smile on his face as the Slytherin was thrown backwards and had slid across the floor, almost hitting the other couch on the otherside of the Common Room.

However, his victory was short lived as the other Slytherins he had sent the first _Stupefy_ to were now getting up. Although he got lucky with being able to take them down with a single spell due to them being so close, the force of the spell wasn't enough to keep them down. The spell was great against one or two people, but not so great against eight. They had retrieved their wands and sent curses at him.

He immediately threw himself over the couch and took cover against the back of it, letting the front take the impact. He thought about using some of his invented spells to defend himself, but worried that they would use 'em against him later on in the future. He instead decided to use defensive spells for the moment, just in case Slughorn or another teacher got involved.

He quickly stood up to cast a couple of spells towards his attackers when he found an opening. However, before could he cast the first spell, he immediately felt something hit him in the back. He fell against the couch and made contact with the ground on his back. His wand flew across the floor, losing his best weapon of defense. He cursed at himself a couple of times for not paying attention to what was going on behind him. He was so focused on what was going on in front of him that he never considered the possibility of someone getting the drop on him from anywhere else.

Unable to move, he could only watch from the corner of his eyes as his enemies gathered around him. He tried whispering _Accio_ for his wand, but his mouth betrayed him. He found he couldn't speak or even move any part of his body. His eyes widened as he realized that the mysterious person who got him from behind had also casted the _Petrificus Totalus_.

 _Damn it, Snape! You're supposed to be better than this!_

He heard laughing and knew that both Mulciber and Avery had recovered from his attack, walking towards where he was laying. He could only watch from the corner of his eyes as they looked down towards him, smiling.

"Oh, we forgot to mention something," Mulciber pretended to slap himself on the forehead. "Earlier tonight, just before the feast, we've welcomed a new member to our group. Someone who has proven himself to be worthy of us and also the Dark Lord. We were going to tell you, but after what Jax has told us about what you did..." His expression turned to hatred. "... we figured we would save it as a surprise."

A dark shadow appeared behind Mulciber, who moved out of the way so Severus could see who it was. Standing up above him was none other than Bartemius 'Barty' Crouch Jr., who was smiling down to him.

For some reason, this didn't surprise Severus. He knew that Barty was a rebel of his father and wished to join the ranks of the Death Eaters in order to get revenge against his family. But what did surprise him was the fact that the group would accept him so early, being a third year. Not to mention the confusion some will have between both his and Jax's last names. The very thought almost made him chuckle, if he wasn't body-binded at the moment.

"You've made a terrible mistake, Snape," said Barty Jr.

"And now, you're going to pay for it," Avery smiled.

Mulciber nodded to Wilkes and Rosier, who grabbed Severus by his shoulders and began to drag him to the showers of the boys dormitory. They threw him across the hard, concrete floor, almost sliding to the middle. He could feel his body ache from the pain of being thrown with such force, wishing the impact had knocked him out for what was about to happen next. He knew the exact reason for why the had brought him here.

"Perfect place for torture, don't you think, Severus," Mulciber asked, although it sounded more like a statement. "The _evidence_ can be washed away with just a turn of a couple knobs."

He lifted his wand and removed the body-binding curse from him.

Once in control of his eye lids and body again, he closed his eyes and prepared himself through the use of _Occlumency_ , closing himself off from his physical self. He tried as hard as he could to hide within the dark corners of his mind. He wasn't going to give them the pleasure of hearing him scream or beg for mercy.

If there was one advantage that the Marauders and his father had given him, it was making him used to pain and humiliation.

The others gathered behind Mulciber, watching with excitement for what was about to happen next.

" _Crucio!_ " Mulciber shouted and from the tip of his wand came a red light, hitting Severus.

Even with the help of _Occlumency_ , Severus could feel every bit of the pain that was being inflicted upon him. His eyes widened and tightened, his hands formed fists and his mouth closed shut, daring not to open for anything. His body felt like it was on fire, with thousands of spikes driving right through his skin. His body was twitching and jerking. He fought for control over his mouth, not wanting to set free his agony or cries of pain. He began to bash his head against the floor, hoping it would lessen the pain somehow.

It wasn't long before he became disorientated and had lost track of everything. Sense of time, place and thinking clearly was gone. Each passing second felt like an eternity to him. But, somehow, through it all, he managed to keep himself intact through his mind.

Though his walls of _Occlumency_ were weakened, they still managed to hold together.

He could hear someone yelling in anger and something hitting the left side of his ribs.

"Why - won't - you - break?!" the words came to him slowly.

He thought he could see Mulciber kicking him, while the others behind him looked on. They all had smiles of enjoyment at what was happening to him. However, he thought he saw Regulus looking away in shame and guilt.

Severus's eyes began to slowly close and a darkness started to overtake him.

Even when Mulciber resumed to using the Cruciatus Curse again, he found himself slipping into unconsciousness and he hoped that _Death_ had come to take him away.

He wanted nothing more than to be free of this life. To be free of his pain. To be free of the Wizarding World. To be free of his father. To be free of Slyhterin and the Death Eaters. But most of all, to be free of Lily.

The very last thought that entered his mind was a memory of when he had first met Lily at the age of nine. His lips formed a smile before he felt the darkness finally take him.

* * *

 **And cut! (Imaginary camera crew following my orders) I wish, but at least writing gives me more freedom than making movies does. And I have you guys! So its all good. ;)**

 **But, yeah, Severus isn't looking too good, is he? I originally didn't have the whole 'torturing/turning-on Severus' sequence in mind when I first started to write this chapter. I was going to end it with Severus just sitting in the Common Room of his House and questioning himself over what has happened. But then I re-read the review from reader "Guest" (odd name to go with but okay) and he/she gave me the idea of adding in a scene that shows just how Slytherin would react to his actions. It actually helped add more to the whole reason why Severus is turning away from the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters. I just hope it all works out.**

 **Also, I would like to thank all of those who left a review on my story. It really does mean a lot to me. :)**

 **Once again, I apologize for any grammar errors or characters acting 'out of character'. I've been using** _ **'Harry Potter Wiki'**_ **and** _ **'hp - lexicon . org'**_ **(aka it's known as** _ **Timelines of Severus Snape**_ **) as sources in order to do my homework on certain events, characters and among other things as well (which, btw, both are great sources if you ever want to do a Harry Potter story, including ones involving Severus).**

 **I should mention that this is not following the future canon of Harry Potter. Think of this as a what-if story. I will try to remain truthful to the historical facts of the series (taking place 1976 and before). I deeply apologize if a lot of things don't exactly match up with how things go in the novels, especially with the first chapter. I did think about incorporating every dialogue and action for that chapter, but then I thought about shaking it up, adding in and/or changing a few things in order to do something that is slightly different. But everything is going to be moving away from the canon story of HP.**

 **Well, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. And I hope you guys stick around for the future updates. I will try to update once every one or two weeks. I might get lucky and be able to post chapters within days of each other. But don't get your hopes up. Writing does take time.**

 **I'll see you guys in chapter 4! :)**


	4. Dreams & Visions

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Like I said before, I am trying to post a chapter every one or two weeks. I don't want to keep you waiting for a very long time for each update, but seriously it does take a while to write and also edit this. So I should warn you that I am be late on delivering the chapters on time. I'm only one dude who is doing all this. Well, me and a computer, but you get the idea.**

 **Oh, I should mention that I went back and made a few changes. I just recently was looking into the timeline of Severus's past and realized some continuity errors, plus grammar errors as well. So I went back and made the change them**

 **As usual, I don't own anything. All the rights and ownership does to Rowling and Warner Bros.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy chapter four!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four:**

 **Dreams & Visions**

* * *

 _Despite that Severus knew he was dreaming, he honestly didn't care. He forgot about what his Slytherin House members were doing to him back in reality._

 _He was nine again, staring up at the clouds beyond the tree branches above him, laying in the grass and making names of the shapes that the clouds appeared to take. A nine-year-old Lily Evans was right beside him, giggling as she thought one looked like a dolphin with wings._

 _He kept on staring at her, just enjoying the fact that she was having a good time and that he was right there with her._

 _If he had a chance to make things right by going back to a time before Hogwarts, he would make every moment count to just be friends with her again. He would have even made sure he ended up Sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. That way he would have never gotten involved with the Dark Arts or the Death Eaters._

 _Nothing could compare to what he was feeling right now. Or rather, back then._

 _How much he missed the days when it was just him and her. Just two best friends._

 _But now things had changed. His feelings for her had changed and their friendship had changed. He worried that his feelings for her had grown beyond friendship and had formed into romantic. He wished to Merlin that it wasn't true, especially after what had happened between them. A part of him wanted to have her back as a friend, nothing more._

 _She turned to look at him and took his hand into her's, smiling._

 _"Sev?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Promise me that we'll be friends forever. That no matter what happens our friendship will still be there in the end."_

 _His heart sank as he heard the words. He hated himself for failing on that one promise. He wanted to use the Cruciatus Curse on himself at that very moment._

 _"I promise."_

 _'But you won't be able to keep it, won't you' Severus said to himself. 'You stupid, pathetic, Death-Eater-wanna-be bastard!'_

 _Suddenly, Lily disappeared before his eyes, including the tree and the sky above. Closing his eyes, he instantly knew what was happening and prepared himself. He had figured that sooner or later the same dream that he had been experiencing for the past week would come back to haunt him._

* * *

 _The voices repeated themselves as they always did before. It was imprinted in his memory like lines from a book. For the last seven nights he would have the same dream. One that refused to go away._

 _"Please, William, don't do this!"_

 _"I don't have a choice, Michelle. I can't guarantee your safety being here, or with me! They will not hesitate to kill us if I don't try to do this!"_

 _"You can hand it over to them!"_

 _"I can't! And even if I did, they will still hunt us down!"_

 _"Then what about us?! We'll be looking over our shoulders, living in fear. I can't live like that, William. Not again!"_

 _"I don't like this anymore than you do, but there is no other way out of this. I'm cut off from my people, unless if I can find a way back and warn them. But I can't do that while worrying about all of you. All I can do now is make sure that you're all safe. Your brother is in Salem and the most capable of keeping you hidden. He'll be able to protect you and-"_

 _Severus wanted to run down the stairs and confront the man and woman who were arguing. He wanted to demand to know what they were talking about and why he seemed to be involved somehow. He normally wouldn't have cared if the dream had stopped after the first or second time, but now he was filled with questions that he desperately wanted answers to. But no matter what he tried to do or say, his body and mouth would betray him. He didn't have control of anything, it was like it was all on repeat._

 _Right on time, he heard the same noise from behind him and turned around to find the little boy, holding that crocodile stuffed pillow._

 _"Do you..." Severus began to repeat the same words as before. "Do you know what they are talking about?"_

 _And also just like before, the boy would nod and bury his face into the pillow._

 _"It's a secret. Mommy and daddy told me not to tell anyone..."_

* * *

 _Severus waited for the images to flash before him and wake up back to reality. But just as the boy and the dream started to disappear, he began to notice that something different was happening._

 _Usually the flashes of light and images would immediately happen right after his 'small' talk with the boy. But he instead found himself in another part of the same house from the dream, and instead of it being nighttime, it was daytime. He was staring at a doorway to another bedroom on the bottom level of the house._

 _Stepping closer, he immediately saw the same boy. His ear was pressed up against the door, trying to hear. As he got closer he immediately heard muffled voices on the other side. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could tell that they were female._

 _The little boy noticed that he was there and turned to him, putting a finger to his lips as he whispered "shhh", and then motioning for him to come closer._

 _"Do you know what is going on in there?" he asked._

 _The boy shook his head._

 _"No, not exactly. But I do know that mommy is afraid and upset."_

 _"Is it about what happened... the other night?"_

 _"Yes," the boy nodded. "Daddy's planning to go away soon. But first he plans to get us to a safe place."_

 _"Why can't you tell me what's going on?" Severus asked, despite that he wanted to ask who 'them' were._

 _"Because mommy and daddy told me not to. I shouldn't have spied on them the first time they talked about 'it'. Mommy was furious."_

 _Just then the voices got a little louder, forcing the boy and Severus to put their ears up against the door, allowing them to fully hear the conversation._

 _"I need you to promise me that you'll protect them. Whatever happens to us, I need to hear you promise that you'll keep them save."_

 _"Nothing bad is going to happen-"_

 _"You don't know that!"_

 _"Calm down, Michelle! We're going to be fine."_

 _"No, you don't understand! I need to hear you say the words to me! I need you to promise me!"_

 _"Okay, yes, I promise-"_

* * *

 _The dream changed as the little boy and hallway disappeared, he was no longer leaning against the door, but instead was laying in a bed, his eyes wide open. He could hear voices coming from down stairs, the sound of the front door slamming shut all the way from the bedroom he was in._

 _"William?! What's wrong?!"_

 _"Quick, get everything ready! We're leaving right now!"_

 _Alarmed, he brought his feet to the ground and stood up. Turning towards the door of the room, he realized that he wasn't alone._

 _On the other side of the bed, he saw the little boy sitting up and pushing aside the covers, he recognized both worry and fear deep within his eyes._

 _He immediately ran out the door, carrying his crocodile pillow with him._

 _Severus followed him and ran down the stairs to the bottom level, catching up with him as he reached the last step. They turned down the hallway that led to the master bedroom. As they came near, they could hear the man and woman talking, but couldn't see their faces as the door was halfway open, only managing to see their shadows._

 _They listened from a safe distance, wondering what was going on._

 _"Get everything ready. I've gotten all of us plane tickets through Muggle travel out of the country. It's the best way to stay undetected. We need to make sure they can't follow us where we're going."_

 _"What happened?"_

 _"I was on my way back when 'they' suddenly appeared and attacked. There's a possibility they may know our location now. My contact may have told them where we live when he betrayed the Guardians."_

 _"What about Salem? Is my brother in danger too?"_

 _"No, he didn't know about Salem, which means they don't either. But we still need to get out of here."_

 _"Did you put 'it' in a safe place? Somewhere that they won't be able to find it?"_

 _"Yes, it's safe. But first we need to make our escape and get in contact with your brother. He'll be able to protect you from them. Where's Eileen?"_

 _"She went to grab her things from her home. She'll be back soon."_

 _"Good! Because once she's back, we're leaving."_

 _The little boy turned away and quietly went back up the stairs, being followed by Severus._

 _Despite knowing that he couldn't ask the questions he wanted to, he had hoped to learn something by letting the dream play out. Catching up with the boy at the top of the stairs, he saw the tears on his cheeks._

 _Suddenly , they both heard a loud noise coming from down below. Sounds of spells being casted and battle cries could be heard, making the boy hold onto his pillow more tightly._

 _"They're already here! We need to move! Now!"_

* * *

 _Everything changed again and Severus started to experience different visions in a fast-paced motion. But they were all blurry, making it hard to see exactly was going on or even get good looks at people's faces._

 _One second, he was watching an entire battle happen before his eyes._

 _Dark hooded figures fighting both Michelle and William in the living room, while he and the small boy watched from the corner. He witnessed a Killing Curse hit the side of the wall, beginning to form a fire in green flames._

 _He saw bodies on the floor as the fire spread throughout the house, blood covering the floor._

* * *

 _Severus and the boy watched from a distance of the living room as the dark hooded figures had William cornered. The leader of the group held a strange looking knife up against Michelle's throat, who was struggling to get free._

 _"Where is it?!" the leader demanded._

 _"Don't tell him, William!" Michelle shouted. "Just get our chil-"_

 _The leader tightened his grip on the knife and the sound of steel piercing flesh went throughout the flaming room._

 _Both the boy and Severus watched in horror as the body of Michelle disappeared into a cloud of dust._

 _William cried out as he charged forward with a knife of his own and began to engage them._

 _Before either of them could cry out, a mysterious figure in a dark cloak appeared and covered their mouths, pulling them away as the house began to collapse._

* * *

 _He watched from a dark corner as the boy sat on the couch of the living room, holding the crocodile pillow tightly to his chest._

 _A mysterious woman pointed a wand directly at him. While the person no longer had a cloak anymore, Severus still couldn't make out the person's face. All he saw was a blur as the others before._

 _He noticed her hands shaking, sounds of whimpering coming from both her and the child._

 _He watched as the mysterious woman paused for a few seconds, sighing to herself, before whispering, "Obliviate."_

* * *

 _He saw a woman and a man arguing, their faces hidden in the shadows._

 _"You need to take him!"_

 _"I'm not leaving without you!" the man touched the woman's arm. "If he's coming then so are y-"_

 _"Just do it-"_

 _The conversation was cut short when a bright light inturpted the dream, blinding him._

* * *

 _Severus expected to wake up after that, feeling anxiety starting to take over. It was all too much for him. He had experienced a whole new development in the dreams and visions that he didn't expect to happen._

 _Questions quickly rose in his mind; 'Who were the dark hooded people that Michelle and William were so scared of?' 'Who was the mysterious woman in the bedroom that Michelle was talking to?' 'Was the mysterious woman the very same person who pulled the little boy from the fire and wiped his memory?' 'What did the woman promise to Michelle?' 'And what did Michelle and William have that instantly targeted them for death?' 'And by whom?' But the biggest question of all that kept repeating in his mind was... 'How was he involved?'"_

 _Opening his eyes, he found that he wasn't waking up._

 _He was no longer experiencing the dreams or visions anymore, but rather standing in a grassy field. The sun was setting in the horizon, making the sky look orange and red. A part of him wondered if he was experiencing something new to the dream or just simply having a new dream._

 _His question was quickly answered as he realized he wasn't alone in the field._

 _Turning around he saw a figure walking towards him, his face covered by the brightness of the sun behind him. Reaching for his wand for support, he realized he didn't have it with him._

 _Calming himself, he narrowed his eyes to try and get a good look at the approaching stranger._

 _As the person got closer, he instantly recognized the face of Lucius Malfoy once he got a better visible look. Lucius had a blank expression as he stopped a couple of feet away from Severus. The two continuing to stare each other down._

 _Severus remembered when he first met Lucius back in his first year. While the seventh year Slytherin didn't take any interest in him through the first few months, it was only through the witness of his mastered skills of Potions that succeeded past even seventh year students and also his connection to the Prince Dynasty that Malfoy had welcomed him fully into his 'unnamed' group. It was then that he was introduced to Death Eaters and the pure-blood society belief._

 _Despite that he was a half-blood, they ignored his 'tainted blood' and welcomed him as one of their own. Ever since then he fell victim to the Dark Arts and the obsession of becoming a Death Eater. Even after Malfoy graduated from Hogwarts, Severus kept in contact with him, being encouraged to keep on learning about the Dark Arts. He also promised a spot waiting for him among the Death Eaters when he would become of age._

 _But he never could find the will to leave his mother behind._

 _Despite how much he may hate his father, his mother always had a place in his heart._

 _"Severus," Malfoy nodded._

 _"Why are you doing this?" Malfoy asked. "Why are you turning your back on everything you know? You are so close, Severus!"_

 _For once in his entire life, Severus sneered and shook his head at Lucius._

 _"How can you ask me that? How can you ask me why I would turn against the very people who cost me the one precious thing I had in my life?"_

 _"You mean the 'mudblood'?!" Lucius stared at him in disbelief. "She's an abomination to the pure-blood society! Even in your first year she was always holding you back, making sure you never reached your full potential. Tell me, Severus, does she know of what your father does to you and your mother?"_

 _Severus looked down and answered, "She suspects, but she doesn't really know."_

 _"Does she understand what it means to be bullied? To be seen as outcast, looked upon as a broken animal who should be put out if its misery? Or, better yet, to be misunderstood?!"_

 _"No," the tears became more heavy in his eyes._

 _"All your life, you have been seen as freak. James Potter and his so-called Marauders love to torture you. They all hate you for just being a Slytherin. The Gryffindors will always hate Slytherins, just like how the mudblood hates you now. In fact, she's never really been there for you. Has she? But Slytherin has always been there for you. 'I've' always been there for you. The Slytherin House understands you and even accepts you! Why on Earth would you turn your back against that?! To choose a girl who only understands the life of having a loving family and friends to be around?! Tell me the truth, Severus... WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE HER!"_

 _"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" Severus screamed towards the ground._

 _Silence passed as Lucius stared at Severus, who continued to look to the grass below his feet. He allowed the tears to freely run across his face and fall from his chin, almost tasting the salt._

 _He continued to stare at the ground until he heard a girl's voice speak to him._

 _"You think you can be forgiven? To redeem yourself?"_

 _Severus looked up and saw that Lucius was no longer there. Instead, Lily Evans was standing in front of him, giving him a look that sent shivers down his spine._

 _"You have always been a burden," she continued. "Always arguing with you about how Slytherin is an evil house, full of Death Eaters waiting-to-happen. Arguing about how the Dark Arts is evil. How could I have not seen it sooner? You're cursed to go down this path you're on! You're just like your father! You cause pain and suffering because you don't have the kind of life that I have!"_

 _She then walked up and slapped him across the face, the force of the slap making him look away, but he was oblivious to the pain._

 _"Why on Earth would I ever love someone like you? Why would anyone love 'you'? You're just a damaged freak! A monster in the making!" She paused. "I curse the day I met you!"_

 _The words pierced his heart like spikes._

 _He fell to his knees on the ground, closing his eyes as tears threatened to break free._

 _"She's better off without you."_

 _Snape sneered as he recognized the voice of James Potter. He looked up and saw that Potter had taken Lily's place, staring at him with that smile that always sent anger through every corner of his heart and body._

 _"You're nothing more than a Death-Eater-wanna-be!" James continued, his smile growing bigger. "Just your existence makes me sick! You deserve every little bit of pain that you've endured!"_

 _Then, right before his eyes, he watched as the form of James Potter disappear and was then replaced with the body and face of Tobias Snape._

 _"The moment your... 'mother' revealed to me what you both were, I knew that you would turn into this. I was right about you and your mother... You're devils! You have no right to exist!"_

 _Severus looked half-dead as he heard the words. He remembered the time when his father told him this at the age of eleven years. The day when he was about to leave for his first year at Hogwarts._

 _"I knew that you're a freak of nature once your mother told me about your kind. I should have left you both long ago! How my life would have been so much simpler! I curse the day I met Eileen on that beach in Spain! And I curse the day you came into our lives!"_

 _Now Severus was on his hands, trying to keep himself from collapsing onto the ground. He couldn't take it anymore. Even though he never cared about his father, that didn't change the fact that the words still hurt to hear._

 _As his tears hit the ground, Tobias disappeared and Lucius stood before him once again. He walked forward and bent down in front of Severus, placing his hand on the side of his shoulder._

 _"Don't you see?" he pressed. "Why give up what you have for this? These people don't even accept you, let alone understand you. Lily has turned her back on you, your own father wishes you were never born, and James hates you for just existing. But me and Slytherin have always been there for you. We've accepted who you are. We've taught you how to fully access your full potential, and you haven't even joined the Death Eaters yet. Think of all the great things we can do together under 'his' command. We can change the world. Make it a perfect place in our own image."_

 _As Severus stared into space, he fully processed the words into his mind and suddenly felt that fury from before rising again. He looked up towards Lucius, not bothering to hide his anger. Lucius's eyes widened as he stepped back._

 _Standing up, Severus stared into his eyes._

 _"And what perfect world is that, Malfoy?" his tone was serious and anger-filled. "A world of mass murder and prejudice against those who aren't pure-blood?! You call that perfect?!"_

 _Lucius glared back and raised his finger, pointing at him._

 _"Now, listen here, Snape!" he nearly yelled. "Think very wisely about what you're saying. If you turn against House Slytherin, then you're turning against all of us. Including the Dark Lord! You will be treated as a threat and will be hunted down."_

 _"You haven't answered my question," he fought back. "Why are the pure-bloods better than anyone else? Why do you get to choose who is perfect for your world and who isn't?"_

 _Lucius's face turned red and struggling to find his choice of words._

 _"Because... we... we just are!" he exclaimed. "Those mudbloods are ruining our society and they need to be removed! It's the destiny of the pure-bloods to rule over everything!"_

 _Severus shook his head and looked away from him._

 _"If this is what Slytherin and the Death Eaters have to offer, then I no longer want to be apart of it. My only regret is that it took me losing the only friend I had. But at the very least it allowed me to finally realize that you and your 'friends' aren't the way for me. One little slip and your Slytherin followers turned their backs on me. I'm done, Malfoy! I don't care how many times you or anyone else may use the Cruciatus Curse on me! I'm done with the Dark Arts! I'm done with the Death Eaters! And I'm done with you!"_

 _"You'll regret this!" Malfoy shouted. "I'll make sure that you'll pay for turning your back on us! The Dark Lord will make sure you won't live past your Hogwarts years!"_

 _"I don't care!" Severus shouted back._

 _Malfoy put his hand to his forehead and began to laughing, throwing Severus off-guard._

 _"Then your fate will be worse than death," his hand fell back to his side as he stared at him with a smile that sent chills down his spine._

 _The landscape around them changed and Severus's mouth dropped when he saw what was behind Malfoy._

 _He saw tombstones all around the fields, hundreds of thousands. There were crows in the sky, circling the graveyard. In the background of the tombstones, he saw a house engulfed in flames, lighting up the darkness of the sky._

 _Looking down Severus's attention was caught by the seven tombstones in front of all of the others._

 _ **'Michelle'**_

 _ **'William'**_

 _ **'Eric'**_

 _ **'Michael'**_

 _ **'Eileen'**_

 _ **'Maximillian'**_

 _ **'Severus'**_

 _Caught off guard, he barely noticed as Malfoy silently walked towards him. His face and body structure starting to change._

 _Witnessing the horror in front of him, Severus felt his feet sink into the ground, trapping him just below the knees. He felt Malfoy grab him by the neck and force him to look into his eyes as his form became unrecognizable._

 _But then it started to take a different form._

 _The face of Lucius Malfoy disappeared and the appearance of a 'dark hooded figure' took his place. With nothing but a cloak and an abyss of darkness of where the face was suppose to be, he looked into its eyes and felt his fear intensify. He saw a pair of blue, purplish eyes looking directly back at him._

 _No longer were they in a graveyard. They were in the middle of the burning house, hearing the wood begin to break from the heat of the fire._

 _Only the two of them were among the flaming inferno._

 _Forcing himself to keep his eyes directly on the figure's own, he felt the house fully collapse and waited for the fire and debris to consume them. Closing his eyes, he accepted his believed fate and felt the darkness take over._

* * *

Severus saw nothing but darkness at first, believing himself to be dead. But his eyes started to see a tint of light in its tiniest form.

As it grew, he realized that his sight was blurry, having a hard time making out where he was and who's voices he could hear in the background. He felt a sense of disappointment, as he realized that he wasn't dead as he hoped he was.

Why did life have to make things so miserable for him? Wouldn't taking his life be the most cruel thing anyone, or _anything_ , could do to him?

He wanted to slap himself for asking such a question. Of course taking his life wouldn't be a cruel thing to him! He wouldn't care if he lived. It would only be cruel to someone who was enjoying their life.

After a few moments of adjusting to the bright light, he realized he was laying in a medical bed. With that knowledge he quickly guessed that he was in the infirmary, under Madam Pomfrey's care. He quickly got his full eye sight back and began to look around. Leaning up, he felt pain in his side and remembered that was where Mulciber had been kicking him.

"Will he be alright?" he heard girl's voice.

Looking up from his medical bed, he saw a Slytherin girl, who looked to be in the same year as he was. Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn were with her at the doorway of the infirmary.

"Yes, Mister Snape will be alright," answered Dumbledore, who put his hand on her shoulder. "But I need to you to tell me exactly what you told Madam Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn."

The girl nodded.

"I was doing my regular routine this morning. I always get up at six in the morning before everyone else and freshen up for the day. I waited in the Common Room, reading one of my favorite stories, before curfew is lifted by seven and students are allowed to leave their Houses for breakfast. But when I walked out of the Slytherin Common Room, I instantly saw a body, just outside the doorway. I went over to see who it was and recognized that it was Snape. That was when I went to get Professor Slughorn."

Dumbledore massaged his beard and nodded.

"So, you never saw who did this to him?"

"No, headmaster," the girl replied. "But..." she stopped.

Dumbledore looked over to Slughorn and back to the girl, narrowing his eyes.

"Miss Ivory," he said in a soft tone. "Any information can helpful. Until Severus awakens, you are the only one who can help us understand what exactly happened to him last night."

The girl known as Ivory nodded and continued, "It's just... last night... there were some Slytherins who were unhappy with Severus about what happened with Jax Cronch. Almost everyone knows now and I heard some of my fellow roommates talking about it. I even saw some of the Slytherins confronting Snape last night, but I didn't see who confronted him or what happened afterwards."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled.

"Thank you for your time and cooperation, Miss Ivory. You may leave. I will contact you if I have any more questions concerning the matter."

"Thank you, Headmaster," the Ivory girl nodded and headed out of the infirmary.

Severus studied the girl as she walked away, trying to remember if he knew her name. It instantly came back to him as he watched Angelina Ivory disappear from the doorway.

He only spoken to her once or twice, but never really thought much about her until now. A part of him wondered why she had helped him, considering how she herself came from a pure-blood background and most likely was told of his 'betrayal'.

He figured that by now all of Slytherin either hated him or felt sorry for him. So, one way or another, he knew he was going to be on his own. The need to know why she helped him quickly disappeared as quickly as it came, as he figured she would be pressured by Avery and/or Mulciber to stay away from him.

"Oh, Mister Snape, you're awake," Dumbledore announced as he walked over, with Slughorn right behind him.

"Headmaster, Professor," he nodded in acknowledgement to both of them.

"How are you feeling?" asked Slughorn.

Severus almost wanted to sneer at him for asking such a question. He was just tortured by his own House members and then thrown outside of the Common Room like trash. Not wanting to cause anymore trouble, he got his emotions under control and kept his expression blank.

"Could be worse, sir," he answered.

Slughorn nodded, although he clearly didn't believe him.

"Mister Snape," Dumbledore folded his hands behind his back, keeping his expression peaceful but yet serious. "Can you tell us what happened last night?"

Instantly, Severus brought up his _Occlumency_ walls and prepared himself. He only allowed for certain memories and emotions to be present, in case Dumbledore decided to use _Legilimency_ on him. Remembering what the girl said, he decided to tell a short beginning version of the truth that matched with hers and then lie about the rest.

"Last night, after what happened with Jax, I was confronted by a couple of Slytherins. They weren't happy with me and called me _certain_ things for it. They left me alone after that and I went to the showers. But just as I redressed and was about to go to bed, I was jumped from behind. I didn't see who it was, but I believe that I blacked out from whatever they hit me with. All I remember next is waking up here."

Severus looked at Dumbledore and felt the use of _Legilimency_ on him. He calmed himself and allowed for the headmaster to see the memories that he only wanted him to see.

After a short silent time, the headmaster replied, "Mister Snape, if there is anything you are keeping silent about, I highly advice you to tell us. Madam Pomfrey healed your body, but even she had difficulty in the process and recognized some signs of a certain... _curse_ that was used on you. Whoever did this to you cleaned up their mess rather well. They even managed to disable some of the wards in the House for a small period of time, which makes me suspect that they might have used the _Cruciatus Curse_. I need you to tell me the truth. I know I haven't done a good job of helping you before, but I'm asking you to let me help you now.

 _"Please, Severus!_ "

A part of Severus was taken back by the Headmaster's words. Never once before had anyone, other than Lily, used his first name in front of him at Hogwarts. It was always _Mr. Snape_ , or just _Snape,_ or the classic _Snivellus_. He felt a strong sense that he meant every word and there was a part of him that wanted to trust him. But then memories came back to him as he remembered one important fact... Dumbledore never once helped him out before in his life.

Even when the Marauders pulled their pranks on him, some of which resulted in going to the infirmary, Dumbledore never once lifted a finger to stop or punish them. He always saw their pranks as innocent fun, stuff of young boys who would one day grown-up. It only strengthened his anger towards both the Marauders and Dumbledore himself.

Though he began questioning if Dumbledore really did care, he still couldn't find it within himself to fully trust Dumbledore with the truth. Besides, he's already messed with the hornets nest enough as it is. Even if he did manage to get Avery, Mulciber and some of the others expelled, there were still others who would avenge them. And next time they might just use a _Killing Curse_.

Making his decision, Severus stared into the Headmaster's eyes and replied, "I'm sorry, Headmaster, but that is all I can offer you. I don't know who attacked me, but I honestly don't care. You never showed any interest in what happens to me before, so I can't see how ignoring this would be hard for you."

"But, Severus..." Dumbledore was at a loss of words, his eyes filled with regret.

Severus looked away, making sure his statement was clear. He lifted his _Occlumency_ even higher and leaned back against his bed, closing his eyes.

Madam Pomfrey appeared from her office and walked towards them.

"Oh, he's awake," she announced. "He should be ready to go back by tomorrow morning. I want to keep him around for observation in case if anything happens. Now, will you gentlemen give Mister Snape some time to rest. I trust that he is excused from all classes for today, am I correct?"

Dumbledore smiled towards her and looked back at Severus, who opened his eyes again.

"Yes, Mr. Snape is excused. And because of the incident, I am hereby delaying your detention till tomorrow night, when you are ready to return to your normal schedule. And please come to me whenever you... have a change of heart. My door is always open..." He hesitated for a second. "...even to Slytherins."

Severus sneered, "Yes, Headmaster. Thank you."

He watched as both Dumbledore and Slughorn exited the infirmary and closed his eyes to rest. He knew that Dumbledore didn't believe his story and would most likely keep an eye on him for the rest of the school year. He felt regret in his choice of words to him, but immediately pushed those feelings aside. He had bigger problems on his hands than just Dumbledore and the entire House of Slytherin. He knew that word of this would reach Lucius Malfoy and some of the other former students of his House. The fallout of his actions will spread beyond the school and make his life more harder than ever.

But then there was also Lily.

His heart felt like it was twisting into a knot at the very thought of her. He knew that if he truly wanted her back, he needed to keep on apologizing to her. To beg for her forgiveness and show that he is truly done with Avery, Mulciber, the Death Eaters and the Dark Arts. He wanted to change, and he wanted to win her friendship back. He didn't care if he had romantic feelings for her, he can turn his back on them. All he wanted was to have another chance to have her back as a friend.

The dream of the little boy came back to him and the questions from before rushed through his head. He needed to find answers. There was no way it was just a simple dream. It had to be more. His biggest bet was that it was a memory of a certain event of when he was young, but he couldn't remember anything else beyond what he saw.

The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that there was one person who just might hold all the answers...

 _His mother_.

* * *

 **Whew! It took a little longer than I thought to write this chapter. But, anyway, who is enjoying the story so far?**

 **Thank you all for the wonderful reviews btw! It means so much to me. I'm glad that I'm getting the attention of so many people. I hope I don't disappoint. :)**

 **Oh and message to "PiffyEQ":** _ **"You have nooooooooooooooo idea pal!"**_ **;)**

 **Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter! Please keep the reviews coming! :)**


	5. Secrets of the Past

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Another chapter is done and ready for reading! I apologize for those who have been waiting for the next chapter. It takes time to write and edit these. Not to mention I like to take some time off and just think about where I want to take the plot and what areas can be improved. I've just recently went back and made a few changes in how I'm going to do the future chapters. So I have a perfectly good idea what I want to do now. I just hope I can pull it all off and execute it well.**

 **By the way, thank you to everyone who has left a review for the last chapter. It means so much to mean. And don't be afraid to go into detail of something that you like to talk about involving this story. I love huge reviews! But I'm also okay with small ones as well. So please keep the reviews coming. I love it when you guys leave some. :)**

 **Oh, I should warn you that there is a scene in this chapter that might be a little disturbing for some of you. You'll know it when you see it. I'm just giving you the heads up.**

 **Alright, so enjoy the fifth chapter! Because things are going to get a little... _interesting._ ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter Five:**

 **Secrets of the Past**

* * *

The final week of the school year at Hogwarts arrived with the closing month of June, which meant that everyone was studying extra hard for their O.W.L.s, especially for seventh years who were taking their N.E.W.T.s.

Severus was let out of the hospital wing the next morning after his ' _incident_ ' with Mulciber and Avery. While everyone knew something happened to him, no one really knew the specifics. There were a couple of rumors though, a few of which involved the Marauders pulling a prank that went wrong. But as far as anyone was concerned, especially those in Slytherin, nothing serious that they knew of happened to him. Which he was more than happy to leave as that. He hated it when people felt sorry for him, like he was a wounded animal.

Even though he didn't rat on anyone involved with what happened to him, he could feel the murderous glances that almost every single Slytherin sent him. During breakfast and dinnertime, everyone would sit far away from him, leaving him alone. And while a part of him knew that there were far worse fates than sitting alone, he couldn't help but feel a sting in his heart. Even in classes and walks through the hallways he was met with Slytherins staring at him like he was a criminal. But the worst of it all was the evenings in the Common Room and the boys dormitory of House Slytherin. Every once and a while, he had to watch his back for hexes and pranks that were waiting for him. He had to check his bed before going to sleep and then warding it against anyone who would try to pull something on him. He even had to ward his personal belongings, which wasn't much. But the last three days he had to endure felt like an eternity to him. At least when it came to the Marauders he could feel a sense of safety in his own House. But now, he couldn't even get a good night's rest anymore.

He did his first detention with Professor Slughorn as he was told, but didn't have to do the other until the next following week, as it was Friday and Slughorn always went to Hogsmeade for the weekend. But the whole weekend was torture for him. He spent much of his time outside of the Castle, sitting beneath the same tree as he always did when he needed to be alone. He studied for his O.W.L.s, and also studied his surroundings, watching out for the Marauders or anyone from his House, fearing they would target him at any given moment.

There were times when he would see Lily. In classes, in the hallways, in the Great Hall during breakfast and dinner, and also outside. Every time he saw her his heart would race and ache, all at the same time. He felt mixed emotions going through him. Happiness, sadness, heartache, fear, confusion, anger. He could feel it all within a matter of a few seconds. He wanted nothing more than to go to her and beg for her forgiveness. He couldn't take it anymore. All he wanted was to have her back in his life. He couldn't take another moment being alone. It was weighing down on him, crushing his heart and soul.

It was a Sunday afternoon when he finally got his chance to talk with her in private. She was always with her Gryffindor roommates Mary McDonald, Emmeline Vance, and Marlene McKinnon, making it almost impossible to get some alone time without anyone knowing. A part of him felt silly and stupid for being afraid to approach her. He was supposed to be in control of his feelings, not the other way around.

While on the way towards dinner in the Great Hall, he overheard Lily talking to her friends from a distance, making him stop in his path.

"I'll meet up with you guys at dinner. I just need to drop my things off in the dormitory." Lily waved to her friends and began to walk to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Seeing his chance, Severus followed and began to run, his heart racing and his eyes set on her red hair, finally realizing for the first time how beautiful it was as she walked. It moved across her upper back, free from the Wizard ropes she was wearing, exposing its beauty to a near dark hallway.

When he reached her, he called out, "Lily!"

Stopping, Lily turned towards him and sighed, almost turning back around to leave until Severus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Please," he pleaded. "Just... just hear me out. That's all I ask. A few minutes of your time. _Please_."

He could hear her sighing again, rubbing the right side of her temple as she turned to look at him. And for once in Severus's life, he wished he was blind to not see what was staring back at him. All he could see was anger, sadness, and disgust in her beautiful green eyes, all of which was completely for him. He felt his heart sink and ache, like someone was ripping it from his chest and squeezing the life out of it, except that there was no end to the suffering. Like it was his own personal hell he had created for himself. And he didn't blame anyone for it. Not James Potter. Not the Marauders. Not even Lily. No, for once, he blamed himself. He called her that nasty word that he had now come to hate. A part of him wanted to make the excuse that he was embarrassed and humiliated, and that he only said that word because of the influence of his House. But then there was another part of him that said to suck it up and take responsibility. To own what he had done and accept it.

He swallowed, feeling the sweat on his forehead.

"I'm...," he barely spoke,"... I'm sorry."

Lily scoffed and shook her head, turning away to leave.

"I don't have time for this, Snape."

Without thinking, Severus reached out with his hand and touched her on the shoulder again, making her stop.

"No, please! I really am sorry. For everything. I'm sorry about all the years you've had to put up with. I've been difficult and I've made life hard for you to be my friend. I know what others think of me, and to be honest, they're right. I am terrible at keeping myself clean, and I am also terrible at keeping my greasy hair in check. I do have an unhealthy fascination for the Dark Arts. Maybe I once saw it as a way to learn about the darkest forms of magic in the world in order to invent something new for others to use against them. But whatever my intentions were, they led down a dark path that involved getting with Mulciber and Avery. And _you_ were right as well. I couldn't wait to join You-Know-Who and become a Death Eater. You were right about so much and I was so blind, like an idiot, to not have seen how bad and wrong it all was."

Lily stared at him, her mouth almost wide open, but she quickly recovered and shook her head.

"Severus, what part of _'this is over_ ' did you not understand? You made your choice and I've made mine. How do I know you mean everything you're saying? I can't even know for certain if I can trust you _._ "

Hurt by her words, he willed himself to remain strong.

"But, Lily, I don't want to be a part of that anymore. I'm no longer friends with Mulciber or Avery. I'm done with them. I'm done with the Dark Arts." He paused. "All I want is to repair our friendship and save what is left. I miss you, Lily. I promise I will do anything to make it right."

Lily looked towards the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes anymore.

"I don't know if you can," her voice lowered. "What you called me, that word... you have no idea how much it hurt me when I heard it leave your lips. There was once a time when you couldn't even think of that word around me. Why can't you see that Slytherin is evil, Severus?! The boy I remember had dreams, good dreams of inventing new spells and using them for good. I remember how much you used to care, before Hogwarts. But ever since you were Sorted into Slytherin, you've become more cold and bitter. You've closed yourself off to your emotions and don't let anyone close to you, not even me. I sometimes wonder what you're thinking half the time."

"I can change, Lily," he pleaded. "I'm tired of being alone. I don't want to feel like a grumpy, angry teenager who sees emotions as a weakness. And I don't want to lose you without a fight. You're my best friend, Lily! And that's never going to change. Not for me. Just please... give me another chance. I can change. I'm _sorry_ , for everything."

Lily continued to look away as she processed his words, mixed emotions filled her heart and mind, making her think. It felt like an eternity to Severus as he watched her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Looking back up to meet his eyes, she pushed his hand away from her shoulder and her expression became unreadable for the moment, standing firm.

"I'm sorry, Snape, but I don't believe that you can change. I know about what you did for Alice and Rachel, but how do I know if all of this is just to make yourself feel better and to trick me into being your friend again? Maybe some part of you does want to change, but I believe that you _truly_ don't want to. I think those _Slytherins_ have you so deep into the Dark Arts and have drilled their sick Pureblood supremacy beliefs into your head, that you will immediately go straight back to it all and hurt me once again." She took a step back. "You're too late. You've already lost me that day you called me by that word. I've made my decision and I'm standing by it." She looked away from him, ignoring the hurt expression on his face. "Don't ever try to talk to me again. If you do, I'll only respond with silence and ignore that you're even there. Goodbye, Snape. I hope you enjoy your time with those _monsters_."

The words slowly reached him as he watched Lily turn and walk away, her footsteps sounding like distant sounds in a cave, echoing off the walls as she got further and further away. He wanted to run after her, to continue to beg for her forgiveness. He meant by what he said that he would fight for their friendship, but he knew that she would only ignore him like she promised and never give him the chance say anything. It was slowly dawning on him that he truly did lose her this time. He crossed a line that never should have been crossed and he was paying the price for it.

For how long he stood there in the hallway, he didn't know. It was already dark out and everyone was in the Great Hall, eating dinner. But he didn't have an appetite anymore, nor did he ever in the last week. The last thing he wanted was to go to the Slytherin table and see the eyes of his fellow House members staring at him with hatred. The best thing he could do was go back to the boys dormitory and study in his bed, definitely get a head start of re-warding his area and also his stuff.

As he continued to stand where he was, he felt the tears coming and immediately started heading back to House Slytherin. The last thing he wanted was for someone to hear or see him crying. Once he arrived at his bed, he broke down and fell against the covers of his mattress. He sobbed and his cries echoed across the room. Thankfully, no one else was there, leaving him to let out as much tears and cries of pain as he needed. He could feel his heart hurting from the crying, even his eyes hurt from the amount of tears he was producing. He could feel them running down his cheeks and soaking the covers beneath him. But he didn't care at the moment. For once in such a very long time, if not ever, he wanted to let loose his emotions and let them have their day.

As he laid there, memories of his times with Lily came back to him. He remembered the first day they met, when he introduced himself and told her everything about the Wizarding World and Hogwarts. He remembered the times that they spent in the park, sitting right next to the same tree as they always did, talking and looking up towards the skies, imagining wonders. He also remembered when they got their Hogwarts Acceptance Letters by owls and when they went to Diagon Alley for the first time with their parents. Minus his father. Just watching her eyes light up with excitement and happiness was the best thing he ever saw. He smiled just because she was smiling. To him, things were much more perfect back then. Back in a time before the world of Hogwarts entered his life and messed everything up. At least back then he had Lily.

But now? Now he felt alone. _Truly alone._ He had lost Lily. Maybe forever. And his entire House hated him. It felt like everyone was against him, even the teachers. He wanted nothing more than to go back to the time before Hogwarts entered his life. Before Slytherin. Before James Potter. Before he ever discovered the Dart Arts, the whole Pureblood race, the Death Eaters.

Suddenly, Severus stopped crying and the whole room went silent. He felt his sadness and pain being replaced with anger and determination. His eyes narrowed as he came to a realization. The Dark Arts! The Death Eaters! Voldemort! They did this to him! Yes, he had chosen the path he was previously on and was responsible for everything he has done, but the true source wasn't him. It was the Death Eaters and the man they served! Slytherin was just a recruitment house for the Dark Lord to build his army. And he was nearly pulled right into that scandal.

He laughed at himself, seeing the irony.

House Slytherin was supposed to be about ambition, cunning and resourcefulness. Traits to be used to do great things, not evil. Instead, the Purebloods and the Death Eaters turned it into a twisted version of the Nazis from the Muggle World. There was not a single Muggleborn in the House, with even fewer half-bloods, or at least only the ones the Purebloods approved of. What did it matter if a person blood was pure? Or what their ancestry and background was? When did he, Severus Snape, became so prejudice and ignorant of what he was truly doing. Gryffindor was known for not being so observant and for rushing in without using their heads. While Slytherins were supposed to be the House that was observant and did use their heads, to be able to see the outcome right before them. But yet, a Gryffindor saw what Slytherin was... and he didn't see it.

Getting up from the bed, he got to his knees and pulled his Hogwarts school trunk from under his bed, bringing it to his knees. Opening it, he reached inside and took out nearly a dozen or more books and piled them on the floor. Once satisfied that he got all the ones he intended, he closed his trunk and pushed it back under the bed. Standing up, he took out his wand and pointed at the small pile of books on the ground.

Without hesitation, he whispered, _"Incendio!"_

A light of orange and red came from the end of his wand and struck the pile, bursting all of the books into flames. Watching the fire consume the pages and the hardcovers, Severus's face remained expressionless. He continued to watch, even when he could smell the burning of wood. The books he had destroyed were all he had of the Dark Arts. Every single one of them. He held no remorse or regret as he watched his once personal favorite books turn to ash before him. Once he was satisfied, he used his wand to put out the fire and then used the _Mending Charm_ to repair the burnt floor. He also got rid of the burning smell as well and sat down at the edge of his bed, staring down at his rusty old shoes.

There was a sense of satisfaction within himself as he processed what he had did. He felt a sense of relief as he smiled and nodded to himself. He had taken one of the first steps in doing what he wanted to do. _Change._ Those books had been messing with his life far enough and now he was finally free of them. He was no longer being influenced by Slytherin or potential Death Eaters anymore. Now he could add the Dart Arts to that list.

He agreed with Lily that she was right about a lot of things. He did lose her and their friendship. But there was one thing she was completely wrong about. _It wasn't too late to save what was left of himself._ He could change for the better. Be better than his former self.

Severus couldn't help but smile at that thought. If there was one thing that Slytherins were truly good at, it was stepping up to a challenge.

Some time passed as he sat on his bed, thinking.

But as his mind wandered, he immediately remembered the dream and the little mysterious little boy that kept on haunting his thoughts. He knew what he needed to do in order to get answers. Reaching over to the small drawer, right next to his bed, he grabbed a piece of paper and a quill, getting it wet with black ink. Leaning against the drawer, he began to write a letter.

A letter for his _mother_.

* * *

At the small house of Spinner's End, Eileen Snape sat in her chair, staring out the window of her bedroom. Time meant nothing to her as she continued to remain in this state, not even noticing as her husband, Tobias Snape, left for work that morning. Everyday it was like this. Whenever she wasn't cleaning the house of Tobias's filth or taking care of Severus, she was always in her room, sitting in that exact chair. She barely left the house, other than when she had to pick up food and beer at the grocery store downtown.

There was a time when Eileen used to be a happy person. She was once one of the heirs to the Prince Family dynasty, daughter to Cornelius and Rebekka Prince. Despite that her father was a very hard and cruel man, who showed no love for his family, her mother was the opposite, being the most gentle, caring person in her life. No matter what, she was always there for her and loved her with all of her heart. Life at the Prince Manor wasn't all bad as she originally believed. Looking back, she realized that she had people who loved her and would do anything for her. Then life got even better when she was accepted into Hogwarts. While she wished she was Sorted into Ravenclaw, she ultimately allowed for the Sorting Hat to put her into Slytherin, in order to please her family. She never believed in the Pureblood society, even as a child. Her mother helped in certain ways of that area.

Rebekka had come from a small Pureblood family, but the Prince family accepted the arrange-marriage because of the potential profit involved... and also to help keep the bloodlines pure. While Eileen's mother didn't love Cornelius, she did love her children, especially when it came to her.

But things changed when her final year of Hogwarts arrived. Her father had planning a marriage arrangement for years, to marry her off to a man from a certain Pureblood family, once she had become of age and completed her school. It was only by her mother's love that saved her. Rebekka had her sent away, forced to go on the run from her father.

The years she spent on the run were exhausting. Even though the arrangement fell apart, she knew that her father would force her to marry someone else if he ever found her. But somewhere along the way, during her time in hiding in Spain, she met a Muggle by the name of Tobias Snape. Back then he wasn't the drunk, abusive man he was now. He was more gentleman-like, even a little handsome. And for once in her life, she felt she could be happy. But it wasn't long before her father tracked her down. Desperate, Eileen married Tobias in a very small ceremony at a local church in Spinner's End. Officially married to a Muggle, Eileen knew that this would force her father to back off, who would not want to ruin the future of the Prince dynasty. The moment Cornelius found out, he disowned her and left, never to see him again.

At first, it was a relief for a while. She was no longer on the run, allowing for her to have a chance to settle down and have a family. In fact, her relationship with Tobias strengthened over the first few years in their marriage. That was until the day she told him about her kind. And his reaction was the complete opposite of what she was hoping for. While Muggles were unpredictable to learning some of these things, there had been ones who responded positively. She had hoped that Tobias was one of those people. But she was wrong. He didn't take the revelation well. At first it was the drinking and cursing, a way for him to cope with it all. But the moment that Severus entered their lives, he had turned abusive in his drunken states. She was able to withstand his violent nature for a little while, but it became so normal that it didn't faze her anymore, even Severus. She got used to the beatings, the yelling, the smell of alcohol, and his filthy mess. It turned her into a sad woman, who very rarely showed emotion or even smiled. Her eyes looked empty of life and her hair was gray now. She always wore long sleeved clothes to cover the bruises.

A part of Eileen wanted to see her mother one more time, to be surrounded by her loving family and feel the comfort of her mother's arms around her. But she had been cut off by her father, making it impossible for her to go to the Prince Manor. She didn't even know if her mother or father were still alive. It had been years since she last saw them.

Her thoughts then drifted to Severus, who was hundreds of miles away at Hogwarts. He was perhaps the only good thing in her entire life at the moment. Such a smart young man, full of potential. But she always worried about him. Ever since he went to Hogwarts, she could tell that he was changing, but not like she had hoped he would. In ways he was becoming like her, except in a bad way. He had this cold presence and rarely took care of himself, mentally or physically. She remembered when she learned from one of his letters that he had been Sorted into Slytherin. The news saddened her, as she felt responsible for the whole thing. She had told him stories of her past life at Hogwarts, including how she herself was Sorted into Slytherin for her family. Now it seemed like history was repeating itself, and each year he came home, it only added to worry. She could see signs that Slytherin was having a negative impact on him. One time she even found a book about the Dark Arts, but she never confronted him about any of it. Without warning, she just one day stopped caring. She would rarely speak to him, despite how much she missed the conversations they used to have before he went to Hogwarts. They grew apart, and in their isolation from each other... they became miserable and hideous in their own ways.

Suddenly, she heard a loud tapping and was brought out of her thoughts.

Turning to the source of the sound, she saw an owl outside of her window. Knowing that the letter in the owl's beak was from Severus, she got up from her chair and went to the window, opening it up to let the owl in. She left the warm morning air against her face as the owl flew in and landed on a small desk right next to her, setting the letter down. After feeding it some treats, the owl flapped its wings and flew back out the window, disappearing into the distance.

Once closing the window, Eileen turned her attention to the letter and picked it up, sitting back down into her chair. Breaking the Hogwarts seal, she unfolded it, recognizing Severus's handwriting, and began to read.

* * *

 _Dear Mother,_

 _I deeply apologize for how long its been since I last wrote. I know you must have a lot of questions concerning my grades and how life has been going on, here at Hogwarts._ _And while we're on the subject, my grades are better than good. I'm currently studying for my O.W.L.s and should be done with them before the end of this following week._

 _But, Mother, I must confess something. Something I hope you don't get angry at me for. I'm already regretting being Sorted into Slytherin. I think it was a big mistake of the Sorting Hat to put me into this House. I know now that the Hat will put anyone into a House that they wish to be in. I just feel so alone here. More so than usual._

 _I would ask how you are doing, but I think we both know the answer to that. When I get back for the summer, I really need to talk to you about Father. One that it is 'way' overdue._ _I promise that there will be a new change going on. I think you may have already known, but I've been studying about the Dark Arts for a long while. But I'm not anymore. I'm not even friends with anyone inside Slytherin either. The House has become something I now hate. Something I desperately need to get away from. In fact, the more I think about it, I feel I need to get away from all of this. Not just Slytherin, but Hogwarts as well. I just feel like I don't belong here. Maybe I never have._

 _Sadly, this isn't the main reason why I wrote._

 _I really need to talk to you about something else, Mother. I wanted to let you know ahead of time, before I came home. When Father is not in the house, I need to speak with you about my childhood. I've been having these 'dreams'. Or visions. Or memories. I don't know what they are. But they have been haunting me in my sleep for the past week now. I can't explain everything through this letter, but the dreams involve a man and a woman known as William and Michelle. Including a mysterious little boy._

 _Mother, please! I need you to be honest with me when I arrive back home. There is no way these dreams are just dreams. I believe that you know something about them. I promise when I get back I will explain the whole thing to you. Every single little detail. All I ask from you is the truth._

 _I need to know._

 _I know I haven't said this in so long, but..._

 _I love you, Mother._

 _Severus,_

* * *

Tears slowly crawled down Eileen's cheeks as she finished reading the letter. It fell from her hands and landed on the floor, without making a sound. She continued to sit there, staring into space as the tears fell from her chin and onto her lap. She hadn't cried in so long that it actually hurt her eyes, but she couldn't feel the burn.

She hadn't heard her little boy say he loved her in so long. The letters he wrote were always short and he didn't write as much as he used to. If she was lucky, she would get three or four a year. He used to write four or five times a month. Bringing her hands to her face, she sobbed and finally broke free of her none-emotional state. For the first time in so many years, she felt something inside her light up. She felt happy to know that Severus was now seeing the errors in Slytherin. Although she didn't necessarily agree with him about Hogwarts, she was still so happy to see him realize the one thing that she saw in that dreadful house. Just from reading the letter did she feel the emotion from the words. She knew he meant every single one of them.

But then she remembered one little detail of the letter that brought her out of this semi-happy moment.

 _"...the dreams involve a man and a woman known as William and Michelle. Including a mysterious little boy."_

Gasping, she nearly jumped out of her chair, grabbing the letter as she re-read it a few times over. Her eyes widened when she realized that her eyes and imagine weren't deceiving her. The names _William_ and _Michelle_ echoed through her mind. Making her fall back onto the chair, while the letter fell back to the floor. She felt shock, fear and worry rushing through her. She hadn't heard those names in so long. They felt like ghosts to her, coming back from the grave to haunt her. The room suddenly had an eerie atmosphere.

 _How does he remember those names?_ she asked herself, breathing heavily as she struggled to calm herself down. _I made sure those memories were gone. How could he possibly remember them?_

Hidden secrets of the past had now come back to her. To Severus. The whole story flashed before her eyes as she remembered. New tears appeared in her eyes. But they weren't tears of happiness. They were tears of fear. Fear of what this all meant.

 _Does he know?_ her mind raced with questions, while her heart pounded with each beat. _Does he remember everything? What will he think of me if he knows, or discovers, the truth?_

Managing to calm herself, she reached down and picked up the letter again, staring at the words.

After a while, she began to debate with herself whether or not to tell him the truth. She remembered the promise she made and she wasn't going to break it. But that promise involved Severus as well, one that he deserved to know the truth to. She feared that by exposing the truth to him would bring the wrong ears into the mix. But none of that mattered now. If Severus knew something, he would most definitely seek out help from someone else, beginning a trail that would bring to life her worst fears. No, she had to make sure he knew the truth before he came back home, to lessen the chance of him telling others about these dreams that he has been having. But the question of _how_ she would tell him wandered her mind. She knew she couldn't write it down on a letter. She couldn't find it within herself to write it down, let alone do it before school was officially over for the summer. She needed to make sure it came in a way that told him everything, while also making sure that no one else would know.

Her eyes widened to an idea.

 _He needs to 'see' it all for himself._

Right then and there, Eileen knew exactly what she needed to do. But he wouldn't be hearing the truth from her or in the form of words on a piece of paper. He would be experiencing it through memories.

 _Her memories._

Standing up from the chair, she went to the closet and opened the door. Searching through the small room, she found a small box, hidden in corner of old clothes piled on top of it. Blowing the dust off of the top, she sat it on the bed and unlocked it. Opening it, she reached in and took out a wand.

Studying it over, she realized that it had been years since she last used it. A part of her worried if she would mess up on what she was about to do. It's been known that wizards who didn't use magic in a certain matter of years made mistakes with the most simplest of spells or charms.

Reaching back into the box, she took out a couple small potion bottles and prepared them on the bed.

Sighing to herself, she walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Looking into the mirror, she stared into her own eyes and spoke.

A little while later, she reappeared and went back to the bed, preparing one of the potion bottles in her hand. Bringing the other hand up, with the tip of the wand next to her left temple, she slowly began to do a _Memory Extraction Spell_ on herself. Taking out the first few memories she needed, she placed them inside a potion and repeated the process again for the others. When it was all side and done, she had six different potion bottles ready. Laying her wand down on the bed, she began placing the potion bottles into a large envelope.

She then turned to a small desk and walked towards it, pulling the chair up right next to it. Preparing a small sheet of paper and a pen, she wrote a letter and went back to the bed, placing the letter inside the envelope. Once sealing it, she picked up her wand and studied it over again.

Memories of when she first bought the wand from Ollivander's shop came back to her. She remembered smiling when she first held it. How she knew that it was the perfect match for her. A part of her wondered why she locked it away, when there was so much she could do with it. She wanted to hit herself for turning her back on her heritage, on who she truly was. How could she have become so vulnerable? To allow a pathetic man who ruled over her life and abused her, for just being who she was.

Setting her wand back into the box, she put it in the closet again and got dressed in the best clothes she could find, deciding that she needed to Owl post the letter to Severus right away.

In order for him see the memories, he needed a Pensieve, which she didn't have. Nor anyone else that she could think of. She knew that Hogwarts would. Or at least in terms of Dumbledore. The letter already instructed Severus to look into the memories before school ended and that Dumbledore would have the necessary acquirements. She also made it very clear that only he was to see them.

Grabbing the envelope and the car keys, Eileen walked out of the bedroom and out of the house, driving to the secret location of the Owl Postal Office in Chokeworth. She paid in full, wanting to make sure it arrived by tomorrow.

As she began the trip home, she stopped to grab some groceries from the store, hoping to avoid Tobias's wrath for taking the car without his permission. While he never drove when he was drunk, which he was always drunk, he made sure that no one else got to use the car without his permission.

Once pulling into the driveway and walking inside with the groceries, her heart stopped as she heard Tobias's voice in the living room.

"EILEEN!" he screamed. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WOMAN?!"

Ignoring him, she closed the door and went straight for the kitchen, setting the bags down. As she sorted out the food and beer, she heard him stumble into the kitchen, smelling his God-awful stench.

"I said... where have you... been?" he struggled to keep his words straight.

Sighing to herself, Eileen turned around and faced him.

"I went to get groceries, I thought we needed to restock."

Tobias glared at her and snorted.

"I don't believe you!" he took a drink of what was left of his beer bottle and then threw it against the wall, making Eileen flinch. "You've been out with... those other _demons_ , haven't... you! Using the... car... behind my back and... hanging around with those... _devils_. I think... you need... to be punished."

Tobias reached out towards her, only to meet her hands pushing him away. He stumbled backwards, shocked and confused. She hadn't fought back in years.

"Leave me alone!" Eileen screamed and ran out of the kitchen, reaching the stairs. However, the moment she started climbing, she felt two hands grab her by the feet and force her to land on her stomach of the stairs. A rush of pain went throughout her body, especially with her ribcage. Looking back, she saw Tobias unhooking his belt with one of his hands, while the other held her ankles. She saw pure anger in his eyes and expression. She had driven him to his edge and sent him over, not in control of his drunken state. He was in autopilot mode.

With all the strength she could muster, she got one of her ankles free and turned herself over, bringing her knee to her chest and then letting it free, kicking Tobias in the chest with as much force as she could. Without looking back or waiting to see him hit the floor, she ran upstairs and into the bedroom, closing the door and locking it. She could hear Tobias climbing the stairs as she began to think, wondering what she could use to defend herself.

Just as Tobias was slamming his fists against the door, Eileen suddenly remembered her wand and went for the closet, opening it. Reaching for the box, she then heard the door finally give as Tobias kicked it open and hit the side of the wall, startling her. Just as she got the box open and got ahold of her wand, she felt a hand grab the side of her shoulder and throw her backwards on the ground. Looking up, she saw Tobias standing over her, with his belt in his hands.

Trying in vain to use the _Stupify_ spell on him, he kicked her wand out of her hand and immediately started whipping her. She tried to cover herself with her arms and legs, but each hit had a tremendous force that made her body shake violently. Soon, she couldn't feel the pain anymore. All she saw was blood on the carpet and distant shouting. Then she felt something in the distance, a tunnel of light coming towards her. It felt so peaceful and beautiful. She wanted to go towards it and leave this world behind. But as she felt herself going, only one sentence left her lips, in a tiny whisper.

"Severus... please... forgive me."

She eyes frozen and stared off into distance, not even reacting to the repeated hits of the belt.

* * *

Severus was in Professor Slughorn's office for his finally night of detention. He was helping the Professor arrange the potion ingredients in the right cabinets that they were supposed to go in. The two kept silent for a while. But it was finally Slughorn who finally gave in.

"So, my boy, have you decided what you want to be in life, after you graduate from Hogwarts?"

Severus climbed off the ladder and picked up a few more potion ingredients, reading the names.

"I've been giving the thought of becoming a Potions Master for a long while now, sir" he went back to the ladder. "Although, I hear the Ministry is looking for graduates to hire for some of the other departments that involve Potions. Maybe even the Department of Mysteries."

Slughorn nodded, satisfied.

"I'm surprised you didn't put the Defense of the Dart Arts on there. Or anything involving that _subject._ "

Severus paused as he put the potion ingredients away, thinking to himself.

He knew that the Professor would have brought the subject up eventually. It was no secret that he had a fascination with the Dart Arts and showed great interest in the Death Eaters campaign. A lot of the teachers and professors of the school held a bit resentment towards anyone in Slytherin. They gave good grades, scores and even congratulated when they needed to. But they always looked down at Slytherin as the house of potential Death Eaters. Especially him. There was a reason why Slughorn never invited him to his _group parties_. Although he never really cared. But when it came to the other Houses, none of them gave Slytherin a time of the day to say something nice or hang out with them. Which, to be fair, Severus didn't really blame them. But the one thing that always angered him was how James Potter and the Marauders got away with their little pranks on him. He didn't even call their stunts pranks. He saw it as flat-out bullying. Looking back now, Severus knew that he wasn't completely the victim or the innocent one. He often provoked and annoyed them into unleashing their tricks on him. But what escaped his understanding was how Dumbledore found their pranks to be _'harmless acts of young men'_. They maybe young, but their pranks resulted in himself and others into being sent to the hospital. And they enjoyed his misery above all.

Shaking his head, Severus climbed down the ladder and replied, "To be honest, sir. I think I've had enough of the Dart Arts for one entire lifetime. Including the entire House of Slytherin."

Slughorn raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Really? Does any of this have to do what happened to you a few days ago?"

Pausing, Severus meet the Professor's eyes and the two stared at each other for a few long seconds, letting the moment sink in for both of them. He knew that the Potions Teacher was trying to get any information out of him. Most likely on the orders of Dumbledore.

Looking to change the subject, Severus eyed the desk behind Slughorn and noticed something that caught his eye. Near the edge of the wooden desk, there were application forms of some schools that were not known to him.

"Um, sir," he met Slughorn's eyes again. "I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering what those forms behind you are for."

Narrowing his eyes in question, he turned around and chuckled.

"Oh, those are just student application forms for anyone who wants to try out Summer School at any of the other Wizarding schools that are overseas. There is one in France, two more in Italy, and another in America, all of which are not as big as Hogwarts or the other two main Wizarding schools. I tried getting some more for other parts of Europe, but then I thought it wasn't exactly a good time to go anywhere in the Soviet Union territory at the moment. I just recently got permission from Dumbledore to start this. Although, I've been having difficulty finding those who would like to do summer school as an exchange student. But I can't blame them, as it is Summer after all."

Severus walked right next to him and looked at the forms. The one in France was called the Paris Wizarding Private School, and the ones in Italy were the Rome and Florence Wizarding Institutions. But it was the next one that immediately caught his attention.

The North America, Salem Wizarding Academy.

 _Salem_

Severus's eyes widened as he remembered the dream once again, spiking his interest.

"Are you considering on trying out one of them for the summer?" Slughorn asked.

Blinking, Severus pushed the thought to the side and replied, "I'm not sure. The only problem is that I don't have any money or the right supplies."

"Oh, no worries, my boy!" the Professor clapped him on the shoulder. "I've talked with Dumbledore and we've agreed that Hogwarts would pay for first timers. We'll arrange for transportation and the right acquirements needed. The whole thing is only for a month and a half, so you'll be back in time to get your supplies for Hogwarts before September 1st. But I must warn you that you must have parents' permission, only one is needed. The offer ends June 30th, a few days after school ends."

"In that case, I'll think about it," Severus picked up two of the forms, one for the Salem Academy and the other for the Rome Institution, folding and putting them into the pockets of his robes. To be honest, he wasn't really interested in going to either one of these countries, although he has been curious about what life is like for wizards in the United States, but he couldn't ignore the coincidence of the name _Salem_ appearing in his dream and learning that it was an actual place in the US.

But another question entered his mind as well; _"Could any one of these schools be a chance at a new life for him?"_

Severus scoffed at the idea in his head. As mush as he wanted to, he couldn't leave Hogwarts or Britain behind. Not without his mother anyway, who refused to even leave Chokeworth, except when it came time for Severus to get his school supplies from Diagon Alley.

"Ahem," came a voice from across the classroom.

Both Severus and Slughorn turned to find Dumbledore in the front entrance, his hands folded behind him.

"Ah, Professor Dumbledore!" Slughorn exclaimed. "To what do we owe the honor?"

The Headmaster nodded and said, "I hope you don't mind if I borrow Severus for a moment. I need to speak with him in my office."

"Of course, Headmaster!" Slughorn nodded and turned to Severus. "I think this ends your detention time, Mr. Snape. You're dismissed."

Severus nodded to the Professor and replied, "Thank you for the applications, Professor. I'll definitely give it some thought."

"You're most welcome, my boy!"

Severus followed Dumbledore up to his office and entered with him. Once they were alone, the two took their seats. Even though he couldn't read the Headmaster's expression, Severus knew that something was wrong. He could feel it somehow.

"Severus," Dumbledore began. "I'm sorry to say this, especially at a time when school is almost over, but..." He looked into his eyes. "I just received word from the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic that your mother and father were discovered dead in your family home. Their bodies were found a few hours ago by local police, which we thankfully managed to take over the investigation with the help of Prime Minister-"

Severus felt his heart and breathing stop. He suddenly felt disconnected from his body as he heard the words, slowly letting the realization sink in as he felt the tears coming. He brought up his _Occlumency_ walls and kept his emotions at bay, fighting to stay in control. He could no longer hear Dumbledore's words as he became less aware of his surroundings.

* * *

 **Poor Severus. Things are definitely not going well for him, are they? But in all seriousness, I do feel bad for doing this to him.**

 **I deeply apologize to those who were disturbed or affected in any way about the beating scene of Eileen Snape. I don't like or support abuse in any way. I originally meant for Eileen and Tabias to have died in a car accident. But everyone has already done that in their other stories and I thought that having Tabias be the one who kills her in a fit of drunken rage to fit the concept of what-if this was how she originally died in the main canon. Which reminds me, I'm leaving up to you guys to decide for yourself if this how Eileen and Tabias died in the Harry Potter timeline (minusing a few little details) or if this is a reaction to changing things. The decision is up to you.**

 **I should mention that I am taking inspiration and several ideas from other fanfic stories in order to write this. The stories are: - "A Prince Rising" (By: Syl), "His Greatest Wish" (By: AndromedaMarine), "A Changed Man" (By: jessx08), "** **Second Chance, a new choice" (By: moonbird) - I wanted to list these because I'm starting to enter a territory of using other peoples' ideas to help further my story. I won't be stealing their ideas or copying everything that they do. Trust me, what I have planned will be different, just with some similar ideas. The main stories that I am largely drawing inspiration from are 'A Prince Rising' and 'Second Chance, a new choice'. So, yeah, you'll be seeing similarities. Oh, by the way, I highly recommend reading these stories. They're worth checking out. ;)**

 **Message to "JaneDoh": 'I highly agree with everything you've had to say about Severus. And thank you so much for leaving such a big review. Please don't apologize for it. I like big reviews. You have some good points about Lily, but I'm the kind of guy who likes to see the point-of-view of both sides. I agree with some of the things you've had to say about Lily, but I think that we also forget to remember that Severus can be hard to be around. So I can understand why Lily broke off their friendship (not saying it was right, just saying I understand). The one thing I do disagree with you on is about 'Lily not caring about Severus'. I do believe that she did care for him. She just didn't understand him and gave up on him too easily. As for Severus being violent, I can see my error in making him seem that way, but that wasn't the main purpose. He really isn't all that violent. He's just a teenager who is acting on his emotions, which we all know can result in some pretty crazy things. But yeah, I do agree with you that Severus surprisingly wasn't all that violent as we may think.'**

 **Message to "sh": 'Yeah, I agree with you about what you had to say about Lily in your review. She did take the 'Mudblood' name calling a little too easily, although I understand her anger. I always wondered why she never saw the bully that James Potter was in school. I mean, I'm glad the dude matured in his final year and all, but why does he get to be forgiven so easily, when Severus is the one who gets the worst of life. For someone who was observant, Lily failed to understand Snape and the reason why how he was. Also, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story.' :)**

 **Just before I go, I want to let you guys know that I just put up a Poll on my Profile page and there is a question concerning this story. It's about Severus's possible love interest in this story. If you want to vote, then go ahead and go to my Profile. It will be on the very top when you go there.**

 **Alright, so that is all for now. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to get to work on the next chapter when I can. But for now, I need to rest. Maybe even watch some Game of Thrones or something. ;)**


	6. Pit of Despair

**Redemption**

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 **Hey guys! Sorry for the wait again. Been busy and tired lately. But, anyway, I'm back and chapter six is ready to go. I should warn you that this chapter is going to be shorter than the other ones. Reason being is because I've been a little lazy and also because I felt that we needed a whole chapter to Severus going through the emotions of what has just happened.**

 **Also, THANK YOU guys so much for the wonderful reviews that you've all left! It means a lot to me! Reviews are like candy to us writers and we love it, especially when they are big, but we also appreciate the smaller ones too. Just keep 'em coming! :)**

 **Enjoy chapter six!**

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 **Chapter Six:**

 **Pit of Despair**

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Severus could no longer hear Dumbledore. Nor could he remember exactly where he currently was at the moment.

Tears threatened to break free from his eyes as the realization of what the Headmaster told him sunk in. Whatever the old Professor had said after that, it had completely missed his ears. While he tried to have his _Occlumency_ walls guard his mind, he found that they immediately fell apart within seconds. His own magic was failing him at the moment, leaving him vulnerable and open for anyone to attack. A part of him knew that Dumbledore would understand and respect his privacy at the moment, but he still couldn't break free of hating the feeling of being exposed. The last thing he needed was for someone to peek into his mind or see the tears in his eyes.

The Headmaster studied the young Slytherin as he stared down at the desk, tears running down his cheeks. He had stopped talking when he realized that the young man was no longer listening.

For the first time in Dumbledore's life, he actually felt sorry for him, even scared as well. But not in the way he usually did. It was no secret that Slytherin was the source of potential Death Eaters, and Severus was high on top of his ' _alert list'_ that he had been keeping for the past five years now. But this time was different. He didn't fear about Severus running off and joining the Dark Lord on his crusade. He feared what the young man could do to himself in this kind of state. His parents were dead, his whole house hated him and he knew about the _incident_ that destroyed his relationship with Lily Evans. As far as the Headmaster was concerned, Severus Snape had no one else in his life.

"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on top of the desk.

Severus blinked and looked up, starting to come back to reality. He rubbed his eyes with the sleeves of his robes and shook his head.

"Sorry, Professor," he apologized.

"No need to be sorry for anything," the Headmaster smiled, sympathetically. "It's completely understandable and necessarily to express emotions like this. It's only means that you are human to do so. Do you wish for me to tell you the details now, or another time? Because I am more than willing to hold off until when you are ready."

Severus shook his head, gaining control over himself.

"No, I wish to know what happened."

Dumbledore hesitated before nodding and continued.

"Earlier today, local Muggle police were informed of a gunshot being heard from your parents' house by next-door neighbors. When they entered the premises, they found both of your parents, dead in the master bedroom. It appears that your father shot himself in the head, committing suicide. But, as for your mother..." Dumbledore stopped and sighed. "Your mother apparently had been beaten to death by your father. Once your father had realized what he had done, he took his own gun and used it on himself. Once we learned about the investigation from our sources, we were able to take over with the help of the Prime Minister. The Aurors took care of everything after the Muggle authorities left."

Severus's hands tighten their grip on the sides of the chair. His heart felt like it was being squeezed as he imagined the scene from within his mind. He could see his father, drunk and angry, hitting his mother until she couldn't take it anymore. He could imagine her lifeless eyes, staring at him from miles away. Anger rose within him, even his expression showed it as his face and ears lit up red. He now had two emotions going through him at once. Sadness and anger. One for his mother and the other for his father.

 _Damn that man!_ he declared in his mind. _Damn that man to hell!_

Memories came back to him of the years of abuse his father inflicted on both him and his mother. He remembered cowering in the corner, crying as his father yelled and hit his mother when he reached his breaking point. He remembered a moment when he took stand to stop his father from continuing to hit his mom, only to feel the impact of a fist against his cheek bone, blacking out. He remembered how his mother would tell him to stay away from home, that she would either come and get him when it was all over or to come back by nightfall if she didn't.

How could his mother had stayed with him after all this time? Why didn't she leave? What did staying with Tobias Snape do to help her or him in any way?

A part of Severus knew that his mother wasn't all there. She was depressed to a near critical point, couldn't make clear decisions unless forced to do so and most definitely couldn't defend herself against the man she had declared her love for in the past. He wanted to be angry with her for not doing anything to stop Tobias's abusive nature, for not leaving him or kicking his sorry arse out of the house. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, he couldn't be angry with her. He knew his mother has had it worse in life than he ever did. She had been under the control of a father of who wished to marry her off to any Pureblood family for profit. Once breaking free, she went on the run and left the world she knew behind, then married the man she thought was good enough for her and finally had a chance to live peacefully. Only to meet another terrible fate at the hands of the man she trusted enough to share her secret with, and endure a life of pain and misery until the every end.

New tears formed as he closed his eyes and lowered his head to his chest. He felt he was going to break again. He didn't want to let loose of his emotions just yet. He first had to get through this first and remain strong. For his mother.

"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore's voice was filled with concern. "Will you please look at me?"

Severus wanted to run away from the office and Hogwarts itself, leave it all behind and disappear into the darkness of the night. Never to be seen again. But he willed himself push those thoughts aside and looked up, meeting the Headmaster's eyes.

He brought up his _Occlumency_ walls again and made sure they kept his emotions under control this time. He pushed back the tears in the eyes and the feelings in his heart, creating a firm expression that revealed nothing of what was truly going on inside his head.

While not fully satisfied, Dumbledore nodded and continued, "I know that you won't have enough money for a funeral. So, I've decided to have Hogwarts cover the cost and allow for a decent burial for both of your parents. I've already made the proper arrangements with the Ministry."

Severus struggled to hold back a sneer. He hated it when people did things for him out of charity or sympathy. The last thing he wanted was for people to treat him like a wounded puppy. But as he remembered the promise he made to himself, and to his mother, he forced himself to accept the kind act and not reveal his displeasure.

"I'm thankful of you for doing this, Professor, it's more than I deserve. But isn't one burial is necessary enough? I think we both can agree that my father doesn't deserve the courtesy of being _laid to rest_."

Dumbledore didn't raise an eyebrow or feel surprised by his reaction, although he was taken back by the _thank you_ he had given him. He was expecting the usual sneer and his " _don't need your charity"_ speech that he always gave to everyone.

"If you wish to only bury your mother, then that is your choice to make. Your father's body will be cremated and his ashes given directly to you. With the recent events that have happened, I've also decided that you would be granted the rest of the last few days of school off in order to grieve. You can complete your O.W.L.s sometime during the summer, of your own choosing. But they must be done before the start of the next school year-"

"No!" Severus protested.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Beg your pardon."

"No, I don't want to wait out my O.W.L.s. I will take the offer of being allowed to leave school for the next two days, but I want to be able to finish my O.W.L.s before the month is done. I also want the funeral to be tomorrow afternoon, at the cemetery of Cokeworth."

"But, so soon? What about the invitations?" asked Dumbledore.

"There is no one else," Severus declared. "My father and mother had no friends, and there are currently no other family relatives. Even if there were, they wouldn't bother to come. I'm deeply thankful for everything you and Hogwarts are doing for me at this very moment, but I wish to get it all over and done with as soon as possible. All I need is one day to bury my mother and one extra day to sort through everything that belongs to my parents. Also, I ask of you not to tell anyone of what has just happened. I wish for this to remain quiet. That's all I ask for."

Dumledore rubbed his bearded chin for a second, thinking to himself.

"It is possible to achieve everything you are asking for. I can arrange for the burial for tomorrow afternoon and for your mother to be presented in the best condition, including the cremation of your father, all within that time period. Be thankful that the Wizarding World is capable of reaching certain deadlines than the Muggle World can. But, are you absolutely certain that you don't need more time off in order to grieve, Mr. Snape? Because I'm more than willing to let you go home for the rest of the school year. There is only four days left. I can see you completing your O.W.L.s within Thursday and Friday, but I want to make sure that you are sure about this."

"Yes, Professor," Severus nodded.

Studying the young Slytherin for a few seconds longer, Dumbledore nodded in agreement and stood up from his desk.

"Very well, then. I can arrange for you to be taken to your family home in Spinner's End of Cokeworth, tonight. The Aurors have cleaned up the blood and removed the bodies of your parents, so you have nothing to worry about. I will arrange for an Auror to pick up from outside the Common Room of Slytherin and take you straight to your home. Everything will be set for tomorrow by two in the afternoon, and then by Thursday of seven in the morning, you will be picked up by me to go back to Hogwarts in order to finish the last two days of school. I also promise you that I will not to tell anyone else, not even the teachers. Does this agree with you, Mr. Snape?"

Severus got up from the chair and nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Then it's official, I'll make the final arrangements needed," the Headmaster walked around the corner and led him to the door. "Remember, tomorrow at two, for the funeral. Your father's ashes will be presented to you there as well. Thursday morning, I will be at your family's doorstep by seven. Be well, my young student, and please don't do anything foolish. Take your time to grieve, it'll be the only thing that will help you through this."

Nodding, Severus immediately walked out of the office and down the spiraling steps, making his way to the Slytherin Common Room. Once he was back in his dormitory, he got straight to packing what he needed. Which, to be honest, wasn't much. Just a pair of torn up clothes, a couple of journals and his wand. He bypassed everyone who looked his way, ignoring the angry expressions of Avery and Mulciber in the corner of the Common Room. Even though it still hurt him to see his own House members turn on him, he was learning to get use to it.

As he waited by the entrance of the Slytherin House, he was greeted by an Auror man not too long later. He followed the Auror out of the castle and was _Apparited_ to the public park of Spinner's End, which wasn't too far from his family's home. They both could hear dogs barking in the distance, due to the effects of the _Apparition_. The Auror walked Severus to his home and then _Disapparited_ away once he had unlocked the door and thanked him.

As he stood at the entrance of the opened doorway, he stared into complete darkness of the small hallway. It took everything within him to walk on inside and set his stuff down on the small table in the living room.

He turned to towards the stairs and held his gaze, trying to decide if he should see the room where his mother was killed. There was a part of him that felt the urge to stay away and not even think about climbing those steps. He felt a sense of fear and dread rushing through him, but there was another part of him that _needed_ to see the room.

Sighing to himself, he forced himself to walk towards and up the steps of the stairs. It took all of his will-power to not turn around and run back down to the living room. He wanted nothing more than to lay on the couch and let the tears come as he would fall victim to sleep. But he pushed those feelings aside and forced himself to climb each step until he reached the top.

As he approached the master bedroom, he placed his hand on the doorknob and felt the cold steel on his skin, almost like it was sending him a last minute warning to turn back and stay away.

Closing his eyes, Severus took a big breath of air and released it. He turned the knob and softly pushed the door open, making a small creaking noise.

He stood at the entrance as he opened his eyes and was met with the darkness of the room, feeling a eerie presence from within. He could hear the cool breeze of the night air from outside, hitting against the window.

Taking his first step, he approached the bed and stared down at the floor. The blood may have no longer been there, but he could see the stains that it left behind. Evidence of what his father did to his mother.

He allowed the darkness of the room to take him, embracing the cold atmosphere that lingered around him. His eyes continued to stare down at the floor, his mind focusing on the details of how his mother was murdered. He could almost hear and feel the impact of each hit in a long distance, hearing his father scream, but the part that Severus would never know for sure was whether or not his mother cried out in pain or what her exact last words were.

He wanted to imagine her keeping quiet and not giving his father the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt. But he came to the realization that he would never know for certain.

His thoughts then drifted to his father and he felt his rage return with a vengeance. He fantasized about what he would do to him if he had not taken his own life. While Severus was serious about giving up the Dark Arts, that didn't mean that he didn't know other ways of torturing without it. His anger grew with each passing thought and memory.

How much he wanted to cause Tobias Snape pain for what he did! How much he wanted to avenge his mother and punish the man who caused him years of pain!

In fact, the more he thought about his past, the more he came to realize where the prejudice against Muggles and Muggleborns truly came from.

It all started with his father.

The only representation of a Muggle to him during his childhood, before he had met Lily's parents.

As for Slytherin, the Death Eaters, and Voldemort; they just added more fire to that growing hatred that he had within him, channeling it towards something that benefited them.

Even in the cold, dark room, his face lit up red and his hands formed fists. His body began to shake from the anger that was continuing to build within him. Sweat sliding down his forehead.

He could feel himself losing control, but he didn't bother to raise his _Occlumency_ shields. He _wanted_ to let loose for once and not hide behind the cold, expressionless face that was creating this person he couldn't recognize anymore in the mirror.

Suddenly, without warning, Severus let out a loud, outburst of anger and grabbed the first thing he could reach, throwing it against the wall. He proceeded to do the same thing again; grabbing vases, chairs, blankets, pictures.

He couldn't hear the sound of things breaking as he threw them across the room or against the wall. It felt as if all sound died out, giving him a silence that did nothing for him.

For a long while, he couldn't even think straight. The only thing that kept appearing in his thoughts were the years of torment that his mother and him were forced to endure, believing that one day it would all get better. The lie that he once believed that maybe Hogwarts would be the answer; the lie that his mother believed that his father could once again love her.

But none of it would ever happen.

It would only get worse, leading to everything that has happened.

The thought was unreal to him, even after all he had been through and seen; _his mother dying by the hands of his bastard father_.

Severus fell to his knees and allowed the tears to come, feeling them blind his eyesight and run down his cheeks. He could feel the darkness around him once again, the cold air touching his skin. He sobbed for the second time in days and didn't care if there was someone witnessing or hearing him. He fell to his side and landed on some glass, feeling the sharp edges pressing against his skin, maybe even a little blood as well.

But he couldn't feel the pain, let alone actually care if he was. He instead laid there, letting the tears soak the rug beneath him.

A series of mixed emotion ran through him; anger, sadness, loneliness, nothingness. He felt them all within seconds of each other, wishing to Merlin that he would die right there and then. Half his face was covered by darkness, while the other was shined on by the moonlight from the window.

Once the tears slowly began to recede, Severus found the strength to pick himself up and walk out of the room, leaving the door open and the mess he made behind him. He climbed down the stairs and sat down on his father's chair in the living room.

For hours he just sat completely still, staring into the darkness ahead of him. The tears no longer came and he got his emotions under control once again. He didn't move a muscle as his red, puffy eyes just stared off into space, with a lifeless look within them.

His arms rested on the sides of the chair, his back against the worn leather. He could smell the alcohol stench and terrible odor that his father had left behind, but he didn't care.

As the hours passed, Severus could feel his eye-lids beginning to weigh on him, his body relaxing and getting comfortable in the chair. His final thoughts were of Lily and Hogwarts, including Eileen. His chest felt like it was being crushed from the inside, his expression turning to sadness. He had tried many times to get over Lily and their lost friendship, but the pain wouldn't go away. He wished that he could somehow forget about her and move on. But even as he wished for it, he immediately felt regret and shame, knowing that to forget about her would be the ultimate betrayal he could do to her, even if she wanted to forget about him.

Like a bolt of lightening, he instantly realized that he was in love with her. Whatever his original feelings for her were, they had evolved from friendship to love, and he hated himself for it. He hated being at the mercy of his own feelings, to be enslaved to a desire that could never be filled, nor returned. After everything that has happened between the two of them, there was no way that anything of the sorts could happen between them. Even if they somehow repaired their friendship, which was highly unlikely, given the circumstances, there was no telling if she felt the same way towards him.

Why had he allowed himself to fall victim to love? He would never know for sure, only that he had allowed himself to.

As much as he wanted to blame Slytherin and those who influenced him since his first year at Hogwarts, he only had himself to blame. He had hurt Lily more times that he could count, and he was paying the price for it. In the end, he had let her down and drove her away. He was so blind that he couldn't see what had been right in front of him the entire time and he lost the only person who cared about him and had wanted to be his friend.

He had believed that he was completely alone after what had happened at Hogwarts with Lily and his dorm-mates, but now he was _truly_ feeling what it meant to be alone. In the end, everyone he had known was gone. Either dead or turned their backs on him, Severus Snape was now alone in the world.

Only the darkness was there to greet him now.

Thoughts entered his mind about ' _ending it'_ all right there and then. Leaving behind one final memory to add to his pathetic legacy. He was a walking soul of hurt and pain, affecting everyone who came into his life. He had _become_ a damaged being, waiting to be put out of its misery.

Reaching towards the small table across from him, he picked up his wand and held it in his hands, staring at it as he debated with himself whether or not he should do the deed. He knew the spell well enough and had the motivation to cast _it_. There was nothing else holding him to the very Earth he walked and lived on, nothing else to live for.

However, a voice within him spoke out and forced his hand to put the wand down, coming to a decision to think of a reason to keep on living. Something that would hold promise.

He quickly remembered his conversation with Professor Slughorn about the applications he picked up in his office. Reaching to the pockets of his school robes, he pulled out the two summer school applications and unfolded them, studying them as he reach over. He felt a tiny renewal of interest within him as he realized that the one dream he always had was traveling the world. Might not be on the grand scale he wanted, but it was enough. Italy and America awaited him for the summer and somehow... that seemed enough.

If he went to any one of these schools and they proved to be a promising new beginning for him, then maybe it was time for a change. To get away from Hogwarts, from England, from the Wizarding World that he knew. But most of all... from Lily.

It was clear to him that there was nothing here for him anymore. If was to start again somewhere else, this was his biggest chance at finding out. No matter how many miles it would take to achieve it.

He knew that it would take some convincing to be fully exchanged to another school in another country, but it was more than possible. He hoped that Dumbledore would see it as an opportunity to get rid of him and prevent one student from joining the Death Eaters. But he also hoped that whatever school he tried exchanging to, that they would accept him. The only question that remained was which one he would choose for the summer... Salem or Rome?

Before he could make a decision, he finally felt his eyes close and his head rested against the top of the chair, falling asleep. While he didn't smile, he could feel a sense of hope within him. Hope that maybe things could get better when the darkness met the dawn in the morning.

One way or another, it was time for a _change_.

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 **Okay, I thought you all needed a little something good at the end. Yeah, things may not be going well for Severus, but the future is full of possibilities and I wanted to show that in this chapter.**

 **In speaking of this chapter, it was inspired by a story called "** **The Moment It Began" (By: Sindie), which has a chapter (can't remember which one) that has Severus dealing with a similar situation. I recommend checking it out if you're interested.**

 **I also took inspiration from a song known as "Hurt" (By: Johnny Cash) to help me in writing this. It was a little harder than I thought, but this song helped me through the process of writing. Give the song a listen some time and image Severus as you do.**

 **I know how some of you feel towards Dumbledore and I will admit that I do agree with some of the things that people say about him. But I also feel that there is this caring side to him that does feel for every student at Hogwarts, even if he is manipulative and a bit prejudice against those in Slytherin. I especially question why he always defends James Potter and the Marauders whenever they did their pranks on others, especially Severus. But I think we all forget that he is human and that he does make mistakes, especially when he thinks what he is doing is the right thing.**

 **In speaking of characters who people don't seem to like at the moment, I apologize to those who may think that I'm making Lily seem too perfect in Severus's mind right now. That's not the main purpose. It's to show how much pain Severus is in and how his mind is working at the moment. I can promise you all this, there will be a ' _realization_ ' later on. Just be patient.**

 **Some of you might recognize some plot points here that are in another story known as "A Prince Rising" (Written by "Syl"). Which, btw, if you haven't checked out that story, I highly advise you to do so. It's a really great story! But anyway, I'm only using certain plot details from that story and other stories to help further what I have in mind.**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": 'I'm glad that you're liking the idea of Severus leaving Hogwarts and England behind. I was a little worried by how people would feel about this when I got to it. I'm taking inspiration from the story "A Prince Rising" (check it out if you haven't yet) and I'm hoping it pays off with what I have in mind. So, yeah, _'SPOILER ALERT'_ (for everyone) it's going to happen. On to the subject of Lily, I can understand why you don't like the character. I may defend her sometimes, but even I recognize that she wasn't the best friend that others may see her as. I feel that she gave up on Snape too easily. I even got the impression that she felt 'relieved' to lose him as a friend. But I do feel that she did care for him and got fed up with him for going deeper into the Dark Arts, but never once did I see her actually taking action to save him from Slytherin or the Marauders. I guess she had too much of the 'Gryffindor Pride' within her and took the 'Mudblood' name calling a little too serious than she should have. I won't spoil what will happen with her right now. Best to save the secrets for later. Thank you for the review, btw.' ;)**

 **Message to "actionliker": 'Thank you for the review and I'm happy to see that you agree with what I had to say about Lily. Most people like to disagree with me and talk about how perfect of a human being she is (seriously? I'm just wondering if they read the same books ;)). But, yeah, she clearly doesn't understand Snape or the life he has been forced to live. Also, it was hard to write that last chapter with what happened between Lily and Severus. I already had 'Eileen's death' in mind, but I felt that I needed to show just how bad things are at the moment for Severus. But thank you once again for the review.'**

 **Anyway, I got to get going. I'll come back later and try to correct any spelling errors or even continuity errors as well. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review. See you all in chapter seven! :)**


	7. The Prince Dynasty

**Redemption**

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 **I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I meant to publish this sooner, but I found myself being lazy (again). But hey, I did tell you all that I'm trying to publish a chapter every one or two weeks. I sometimes find myself in a bit of luck and get out two chapters written within days of each other, but its very rare. Writing can be hard. But when we writers are in the mood (or zone), we tend to have a lot of fun writing each chapter. It's not a job, although it can feel like it sometimes. Its just something that you have to have a passion for. And I'm glad I do have a passion for writing. I don't know what I'd do without it.**

 **Something interesting happened to me the other day. I got a PM message from someone on this website (won't say who, since it was a 'private message') but this particular person asked me if I wrote this story because of the passing of Alan Rickman. Sadly, I didn't start this story because of Rickman's death. In fact, I started writing the first chapter just thirteen to fourteen days before Rickman died. I wrote the first two chapters with an idea in mind of how I wanted to do this. But after Richman had passed, I found myself redeveloping the story a little bit. You see, I had no intention of having Severus leave Hogwarts in the beginning. But because of recent events, I felt like I needed to add a change. So I took inspiration from "A Prince Rising" (By: Syl) and decided to add it in. A lot of the original story is still intact, just with some different locations and sense of direction. I really want to remain true to Alan Rickman's performance of Severus Snape, while also throwing in a new look and a 'what-if' scenario. I really do miss Alan Rickman and all the performances in films he had done. I just hope I can do justice for him in this story. I am really nervous.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left a review on my story. I know I've said it before, but I really do mean it. Reviews mean a lot to me. Its my connection to all of you and is a special treat whenever I get to read a new one. Its what keeps writers like me going.**

 **Alright! Here you go, chapter seven! Please enjoy!**

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 **Chapter Seven:**

 **The Prince Dynasty**

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Severus stood at the edge of the grave, watching as the casket was lowered into the ground by several men who worked for a 'private casket company' in London.

His expression was blank and he refused to shed anymore tears. The last thing he needed was for someone else to see his sorrow and pain. He already spent the previous night crying his eyes dry, and had spent the morning building up his _Occlumency_ walls to make sure he didn't fall victim to his emotions again.

Before dressing for the funeral, he cleaned up the mess he had made in his outburst of anger the other night. While he couldn't find a black suit to wear or even wear his Hogwarts robes for the funeral of his mother, he did his best to find the clothes that weren't torn or worn out. He settled for a pair of jeans and a AC/DC shirt, both of which belonged to his father. He knew that they weren't in the best condition, but they were good enough for him at the moment.

Before the funeral started, Severus managed to go through everything that belonged to his parents. There was nothing much for him anyway. He already guessed that his parents left no will of any kind, but he knew that the Ministry would take care of everything and just let him keep whatever there was to the Snape name. All there would be was the house, some personal belongings and also his mother's wand, which had been seized by the Aurors. He knew there was no money anywhere, since his father loved to spend it all on beer.

He had packaged every picture, dishware and piece of furniture, with the exception of the couch and the chair in the living room, storing it all in the tiny basement below the house. He used a few cleaning spells to get rid of the stench from every corner of the home, especially when it came to his father's couch. When he was all done, the place looked ten times better than how he found it.

He knew that he shouldn't be doing magic outside of Hogwarts, but he knew that Dumbledore would have made sure to let the Ministry know of his loss and allow for the spells he had used to be ignored. As much as he distrusted the headmaster, even held a grudge against him, there was a part of him that couldn't deny that the man did have a understanding of what he was going through. He would always hold him responsible for never getting involved with what the Marauders had done to him, but he would always have a certain level of respect for the old headmaster.

Severus had expected the day to be cloudy, but it was instead a sunny day, with a few clouds in the sky. The temperature was warm and welcoming. As much as he wanted to enjoy it, he couldn't find it within him to do so. He felt a sense of dread, a heaviness to his heart and soul.

He continued to stare at the casket as it laid at the bottom of the grave, not once moving a muscle.

Before hand, he was allowed to see the body of his mother, who had been healed of all scars and bruises. For the first time in so many years, he saw how beautiful she looked. The white dress suited her and her facial figures looked to be at peace, which in turn made Severus feel a little better. He only wished he had gotten more chances to see her like this. The beautiful side of her.

He was also given a golden jaw, which contained the ashes of his father inside.

Through the whole service he ignored the preacher, not caring for the speech of life and death he was giving. In fact, he blocked out the whole world around him as his eyes stayed glued to the casket down below. He didn't even notice as the preacher finished his service and left, leaving him to be alone. The very same men who lowered the casket began to shove the dirt into the grave, slowly burying the body of Eileen Snape.

As he watched the grave slowly get filled up, he finally walked forward and took a handful of dirt, getting to one knee to let the dirt drop in with the rest of the soil.

"Goodbye, mother," he whispered and immediately began his walk home.

Once he was within the comfort of his family's house, he placed the golden jar on the counter in the kitchen and collapsed on the couch in the living room, finally allowed the tears to come.

He felt his mind at war with itself, two sides fighting for supremacy. The Slytherin side of him told him to quit feeling sorry for himself and stop giving in to his emotions. But another side that he had kept locked away for so many years told him to let it all out and grieve.

In the past, the Slytherin voice would always win. But now... he hated this Slytherin being that had become apart of him. How many times had he blocked his emotions because it, only to find himself in a worse position than before? How many times had it resulted in pushing Lily away from him and hurt her in the process? As far as he was concerned, the Slytherin side of him needed a balance and more understanding of things.

While laying on the couch, he heard a tapping noise coming from the kitchen.

Wand ready in his hand, he got up and went to see what it was. At the window above the sink, an owl was waiting, with a thick letter in its beak. Curious, he opened the window and took the letter, making sure to feed the owl before sending it on its marry way. Taking the letter back to the living room, he sat in the chair and read the return address of who it was from.

He feared that it was from Lucius Malfoy, who most likely had heard of his _'betrayal'_ from Mulciber or Avery. Or both. But his fears were put to rest when he saw the symbol of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank on it.

From relief to surprise, Severus couldn't help but wonder why Gringotts was owling him. He knew that his mother once had an account with them, but what ever money was in the vault had been used up by his fourth year. So the Gringotts should have no further business with him.

Opening the thick envelope, he took out a series of papers. Taking the letter on top, he unfolded it, straightening it out so he could read its contents.

* * *

 _22 June 1976_

 _To Mr. Severus Tobias Snape,_

 _Greetings,_

 _My name is Clawlock, the Senior_ _Financial Advisor,_ _Head of Trusts & Inheritances, and Personal Goblin-in-Charge of the Prince Dynasty-Family holdings. It is my responsibility and duty to inform you that the entire Prince family inheritance has been passed on to you. With the recent passing of Eileen Snape (nee: Prince), and also Rebekka Prince (nee: Travers) a few years back, you are the last known remaining Prince blood-relative, which in turn makes you the sole heir and inheritor of the vast Prince family fortune,_

 _The attached documents are current financial records of your inheritance,_

 _I highly recommend that you come see me as soon as possible. I just contacted the Hogwarts Headmaster and he tells me that you'll be free on June 23rd, so I have scheduled the entire day of tomorrow for you to come and see me. It is very important that we get all the necessary paperwork done and officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty-Family,_

 _Please be at the Gringotts Banks at 8 am,_

 _I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Snape-Prince,_

 _I shall, from this day forward, forever be your humble and honored servant,_

 _Clawlock_

 _Senior Financial Advisor and Head of Trusts & Inheritances_

 _Gringotts Wizarding Bank_

* * *

Severus's eyes were the size of baseballs the moment he read the letter. He re-read it three more times just to make sure that he didn't misread anything. His heart was racing like crazy and he didn't realize that he was holding his breath until he felt his lungs beg for air.

Some of the words from the letter repeated in his mind.

 _'... the sole heir and inheritor of the vast Prince family fortune...'_

 _'... officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty...'_

 _Me?!_

Severus was at a loss of words, fully expecting it all to be a mistake.

 _How could I be the last heir to the Prince family? My mother was disowned, that also includes me too. Yes, this has to be a mistake._

But the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that Gringotts very rarely made mistakes. The goblins who operated and ran the bank were the absolute best in the world. But still, he had his doubts. Life was no stranger to bringing the worst to him. Ever since the day he was born he was cursed to live an unhappy life. Probably the only reason he wasn't dead was because death would be a release from his miserable life.

His mind was going back and forth between whether or not the letter was true, or if was a mistake, or a prank from either the Marauders or someone in Slytherin.

He already knew the story of what happened between his mother and the Prince family. When his mother ran away and married a muggle, Cornelius Prince disowned her and forced the entire family to cut ties with her. Surely by disowning her that also meant that he was not welcomed into the family too. Unless there was some kind of loophole or Cornelius had a change of hurt. But hearing the stories of his grandfather from his mother, he highly doubted that he would have reinstated her back into the dynasty. Let alone any grandchildren.

However, he held a letter that countered everything he believed. And he hoped to Merlin that it was real. Because if it was, then that meant that he wouldn't have to worry about money or a job ever again. In fact, he would be able to get his _Apparition_ licenses early and be able to leave Hogwarts... _forever._

Severus's heart jumped at the thought. He even felt his blood rushing with excitement. Was it possible? Could he be able to escape the cruelty of everything and everyone that awaited him at Hogwarts? He knew he would have to return to finish his O.W.L.s for the final two days, if he wanted to fully complete his fifth year. But after that, he would be free to go to Salem or Rome. He wouldn't need Dumbledore's permission, although he figured the headmaster would grant him approval anyway. Most likely just to get rid of him.

Deciding that it was worth the trip, Severus got a pair of clothes together and some money he had been saving up, heading out the door of the house, taking the letter and the documents along with him.

Walking on down to the bus station, he paid for a ticket for the six o'clock departure for London. Once arriving in the city around nighttime, Severus made his way to the Leaky Cauldron, renting a room for the night. He barely fell asleep in the old room he was staying in, excited for the first time in so long for what was to come in the following morning.

* * *

Severus awoke early at six in the morning, showering and dressing into the muggle clothes he brought with him. He immediately regretted not bringing his Hogwarts robes, as they would have been much better than muggle clothes. But he decided to make due with what he had and prepared for his meeting with the goblin known as Clawlock at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He ate breakfast down in the pub, making sure he wouldn't be hungry for the next several hours, if the day went as he hoped it would.

Once it was nearing seven thirty, he made his way to the entrance of Diagon Alley behind the Leaky Cauldron, entering the cobblestoned alley.

Even to this day the world of Diagon Alley still impressed him. It had a welcoming presence that continued to amaze everyone. It was the number 1 shopping place for all wizards and witches, including other creatures of the Wizarding World.

While there weren't a lot young wizards like him in the market, it was still largely populated by adult shoppers and business associates.

Making his way to the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Severus immediately recognized the face of Lucius Malfoy in the crowd, walking alongside his fiancée, Narcissa Black. He wanted to move to the side to let them pass, not wanting to face the wrath of the one man who introduced him to the Death Eaters. He guessed that Lucius already knew about what had happened between him and the house of Slytherin.

But the sight of Malfoy heir made him feel an urge within to take a stand. To officially declare his separation from the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters.

He held his gaze at the young couple, who were smiling together. Enjoying the day in one another's company.

It made him wonder why the two hadn't officially _tied the knot_ after graduating Hogwarts. It had already been three years since Narcissa completed her education and became an assistant for the Malfoy family, under Abraxas. Everyone knew that she only took the job so she could be close to Lucius. Rumors surfaced that the two begun sharing the same room in secret, although Severus wouldn't be surprised if it was true. It was Lucius who went to his father and asked for an arrange marriage between him and Narcissa, winning both parties due to the fact that they would be continuing the pure bloodline tradition and also connecting both families with their endless wealth, creating new possibilities for profit. It almost seemed like life was completely on their side.

Lucius's eyes soon met his and the happy smile disappeared, replaced by a mix of anger and disappointment. Narcissa turned to see what he was looking at and immediately turned away in disgust.

 _So it has come to this,_ Severus thought to himself. _I do the right thing and you immediately turn against me. What a wonderful world!_

The three of them were soon at the center of the crowd, just a couple feet away from each other. Both Severus and Lucius's eyes continued to stare at each other, while Narcissa looked away, although she appeared to acknowledge his presence.

Lucius, meanwhile, was trying to understand why Severus happened to be in Diagon Alley, instead of at Hogwarts. But his interest quickly went away as soon as it came.

"Hello, Snape," Lucius spoke first, not showing any emotion in his voice.

Nodding, Severus replied, "Lucius. You look well. Congrats on the engagement. I'm a little surprised it didn't happen sooner."

He could see Narcissa trying not to snort. She apparently didn't like the fact that he was speaking at all to them.

"Thank you," Lucius nodded, but his voice hinted no gratitude. "How are things going back at Slytherin? I've been hearing some... well... _disturbing_ rumors from certain sources. Maybe you could help me understand."

Severus wanted to laugh at the fact Lucius was trying to play the guilty game with him.

"Lets skip the stupid guilt trip, Lucius!" Severus exclaimed, letting his impatience be known. "You already know what I've done. I'm sure Avery, Mulciber or Rosier had already told you about what happened with Jax."

"Yes, they did," Lucius's expression was turning red with anger, but remained in control. "They say that you defended two _Gryffindor_ girls, both of which were blood-traitors. Violently beat up Jax and then ratted him out to the teachers." He paused. "You have lost your way, Severus."

"Damn right I did! Ever since I came to Hogwarts and got Sorted into Slytherin, I've been nothing but lost. And don't call me _Severus._ As far as I am concerned, no one has the right to call me by my first name anymore. Only those who I consider my friends can."

"But you have no friends. Lily has abandoned you. Your own father hates you. Even your mother is nothing more than a pathetic blood-tra-"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother!" Severus was at his edge at the very mention of Eileen. "You maybe right about Lily and my father, but you don't know a damn thing about my mother."

"But still, you say that Slytherin made you lost. How is that, I wonder?"

"Because I remember a time when I used to know what I wanted to be in life. I wanted to become a Potions Master and study the Dark Artd, to invent new spells to help those against 'em. But ever since I became part of your Slytherin _group_ , I've found myself defending the terrible pranks that my fellow house members were doing to others. I've even invented dark spells that went against my original intentions. But the worst was that I became a product of what you and the Death Eaters wanted me to become. I developed an unhealthy obsession for the Dark Arts, started judging people by their blood status, and whenever I look in the mirror... all I see is this unrecognizable person looking right back at me. So yeah, I agree with you on that, Lucius. I did lose my way." He paused, gaining control of his emotions. The last thing he wanted was to make scene and a fool of himself. "Because of people like you, Lucius."

Silence passed between them, only the sound of passing shoppers and shouts in the distance remained.

"You're making a big mistake in turning your back on us," Malfoy warned. " _He_ has already set his sights on you. The moment _he_ learns you have refused to join him, _he_ will make sure that you will suffer for it."

Severus scoffed, "I honestly don't care anymore, Lucius. I've lived in fear, anger and darkness for so long that I'm tired of it all. What are you going to do? Torture me? The only thing that you can do to me that hasn't already been done is to kill me."

"Oh, trust me, Snape," Lucius smiled. "When you come back for your final two years of Hogwarts, you will be begging for death from us. And by the time you graduate, you will meet your demise for turning us down."

 _Oh no, Lucius, trust me when I say that I'm not coming back to Hogwarts next year. Or ever again for that matter._

"Then at least I die who I am. Not who you want me to be."

Lucius scoffed at him, angry that his words had no effect on the young Slytherin.

Severus's eyes met the building of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, remembering his eight o'clock appointment. He did a mockingly bow towards both Lucius and Narcissa, who still refused to look at him. He could hear Lucius mumbling something under his breath.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to. Good day to you both."

He walked past them, ignoring their angry glances.

Entering the Gringoffs Wizarding Bank, he approached the front desk of the first goblin he saw, who was quietly filing paper work. The main lobby of the bank was very impressive and highly decorated. Some parts of the walls were made of gold, while the rest was cold stone.

"Um, excuse me," he said politely.

At first the goblin seemed to ignore him, until it raised his head and looked at him, studying his clothes and body from his seat. His facial expression was hard to read, but Severus figured that the goblin disapproved of him right away.

"May I help you, sir?" the goblin asked, his eyes staring deep into his.

Swallowing, Severus replied, "I'm here to see a mister Clawlock for an eight o'clock morning appointment."

"Name?"

"Severus Tobias Snape."

The goblin raised an eyebrow and then got down from his seat, coming around the desk as he motioned for him to follow. He led him from the lobby of the bank and down a large corridor, coming to a room. Walking on inside with the small goblin, he was asked to sit in a chair in front of a metal table.

At first hesitant, he obeyed and heard the door shut behind, leaving him alone for the time being.

He realized what the room was for. It was one of the blood testing rooms that the goblins used to test a wizard, witch or even a muggle's blood to confirm their identity. Back in the early centuries, the goblins had discovered a parchment, made from the use of crystals that the goblins dig for underground. The crystals could contain anything from blood to paint and preserve them for hundred of years. The goblins would take a person's blood and drop it onto the parchment. Once done, the parchment would immediately contain the blood and remain fresh forever, as long nothing happens to the parchment that is.

So, whenever an inheritance is passed on to the next kin, the goblins would take that person's blood and match it up with the last inheritor of the inheritance. And the goblins were the best at blood testing. They would know if a person's blood was tampered with right away.

Not so long later, the door opened and a different goblin entered, approaching Severus.

"Ah, Mr. Snape," the goblin greeted, stretching out his hand to him. "I am Clawlock. So happy you could make it. My condolences for your loss."

Severus stood up and shook the goblin's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Clawlock," he nodded.

Clawlock motioned for his to sit down again and went to a drawer, opening it up to take out a piece of parchment and a dagger as well.

"Now, before we can move forward, I need run a blood test to confirm who you are. I deeply apologize for any uncomfortableness in how it all works, but its only policy. If you are indeed a blood relative of the Prince dynasty, then we will be able to move forward with everything that we need to do for today."

"I'll do the test," Severus said right away, eager to get it over with.

"Very well," Clawlock went around the metal table, opposite of Severus, and laid out the parchment. "Now, give me your hand, with your fingers stretched out. And whatever you do, don't move. It will only make it even harder."

Doing as he's told, he watched as Clawlock took his hand and leveled it just inches from the parchment. Bringing the dagger to his palm, he quickly sliced into the skin, sinking deep into the nerve. Blood quickly dripped onto the parchment.

Despite the pain, Severus didn't flinch. After years of abuse from his father and pranks from the Marauders, pain was no stranger to him.

Satisfied, Clawlock put the dagger down and waved his free hand over Severus's palm, instantly healing the cut. Releasing his hand, he picked up the parchment and said, "Now, I hope you don't mind waiting here for just a little while longer. We'll take a look at this with the blood sample we have of Cornelius Prince and return with the results in just a little bit."

"Alright," Severus nodded again.

Nodding back in return, Clawlock exited the room.

A few long minutes passed and Severus started to worry.

What if his blood didn't match? What if it did match but then was rejected for being the son of Eileen Snape, who was a disowned witch? He really hoped that didn't happen. Not when things were just starting to get good for him. But he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe life would pull another one on him and force him to leave empty handed.

The only thing he knew for sure was that he was keeping the promise he made to himself the other night. No matter what happened. He was leaving Hogwarts, whether or not he was allowed to attend another school.

If he was rejected, then he would just leave. Get a ticket out of the country and travel the world, like his mother once did.

He smiled at the thought of vanishing from the Wizarding World. To pull a fast one on everyone. Lily, the Marauders, Dumbledore, Lucius, Slytherin, the Death Eaters. One way or another, he was leaving it all behind.

But a part of him really hoped that he was accepted into one of the schools that he was thinking of trying out. The idea of summer school no longer was on the table. He was going to ask to fully enroll from here on out. If they accepted him, then he would become an American or Italian. However, if he was made Lord of the Prince Dynasty, then he would be allowed to travel to any country in the world. The only thing that remained out of his control, no matter what happened, was whether or not Salem or Rome would allow for him to enroll.

The door opened and Clawlock returned with the results.

"Congratulations, Mr. Snape!" he declared. "Your results came back positive, confirming you are indeed a descendant of Cornelius Prince. As of right now, you are the sole inheritor of the Prince family fortune."

Severus was at a loss of words. All of his doubts and fears vanished, being replaced with a huge sense of relief. Something that very rarely happened to him. He wanted to jump out of the chair and shout out his happiness. But he instead kept these feelings under the surface and stood up, shaking Clawlock's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Clawlock."

"No need to thank me, Mr. Snape. Or should I say _Mr. Prince_. I'm just the person who oversees and protects your family fortune."

Hearing the goblin call him _Prince_ sent chills down his spine. All his life he was forced to carry on his father's last name, the one thing he knew he could never outrun. But now he no longer had to carry that dreadful name any longer.

He began to worry that this was all a dream. That maybe he was in a coma from the attack that Avery, Mulciber and the others pulled on him. It all just seemed to good to be true.

A voice in his head yelled at him for thinking such silly things, that he was losing his Slytherin edge. But another voice still expressed concern about the whole thing. Since when did life suddenly went from _worse_ to _great_ out of nowhere for him. He was _Severus Snape._ Destined to die alone and unhappy.

But now... now he was fully free to escape his pain and begin anew somewhere else, along with a new found wealth as well.

Clawlock smiled at him and motioned towards the door.

"Please follow me to my office. We have a lot to discuss and do, as it will be hours before we're fully done. We need to officially instate you as the Lord of the Prince Dynasty."

Severus shook his head and nodded, following the goblin out of the room and down the large corridor again. They climbed a series of stairs to the upper levels and finally came to a very large, impressive office, which overlooked the shops of Diagon Alley down below.

"Please take a seat," Clawlock sat in his personal chair behind the large desk and motioned towards the three chairs in front of him. "I've cleared the entire day to oversee that our work gets done. I trust you brought the documents from the letter I sent you?"

Severus nodded and took his seat at the middle chair, bringing out the documents from one his pockets.

Meanwhile, Clawlock had reached into the drawers of his desk and brought out tons of paperwork, placing them in separate piles. Once done, he took the documents that Severus had laid on the desk and sat them to the side.

"Let us begin."

* * *

Hours upon hours passed as Severus and Clawlock worked their way through the files of paperwork. They all required explaining and signature signing from both of them, which required Severus to use his new last name for now on. It was all exhausting and boring, but Severus refused to complain. He knew that once he was done, he would have an entire fortune at his back and be able to request for Clawlock to help him apply for both Rome and Salem. But for now, there was work to be done.

When they finally finished, Severus rubbed his eyes, weary of the long hours it took to just legally instate him as the Lord and inheritor of the Prince family dynasty. It was already four in the afternoon. The streets of Diagon Alley were busy with shoppers. And the sun was high in the corner of the sky.

"Well, that concludes that," Clawlock sighed and filed the paperwork away. "I'll make sure these are properly entered into the records of the Gringotts, and also send the right files to the Ministry to make everything official. But as of right now, you are in full control of the entire Prince family fortune. Making your new legal name, _Severus Prince_."

Severus couldn't help but smile to himself. He couldn't believe that this was finally happening.

"However, we will need to meet again to discuss and go into the overview of your finances, which will require a few days to do."

 _Jeez! How big is this fortune?_ Severus wondered to himself.

"Out of curiosity, what is the net worth of the entire Prince dynasty?" he asked.

Clawlock narrowed his eyes and did the math in his head before answering.

"In terms of the Wizarding economy, the Prince fortune is worth one hundred billion galleons in today's world."

Severus's eyes widened. One hundred billion galleons? Not even the Malfoys, the Potters or even the Blacks were that rich. While he didn't know exactly what their net worth were, everyone knew that the highest net worth ever recorded in the Wizarding World was sixty billion galleons. Which happened to be the Malfoy family. But this surpassed anything he ever knew of. In this case, this made him literally the most richest wizard in the whole world. How on Earth did the Prince family fortune become so large?

"Big isn't it?" Clawlock almost seemed to read his mind. "The reason why it is so big is because the Prince dynasty was known to keep their family lines short. Whenever it got too big, the main Lords would disown the distant ones from the family. Well, that and also the fact that if you keep on marrying your children off to other powerful families, then you find that the profit can triple in size.

"When Cornelius took over, he disowned all the cousins and any other blood relatives who weren't his own children. However, things changed when his own children ran away from him, not wanting to be part of the arranged marriages he had put into place. When he discovered that Eileen, your mother, married a muggle, he disowned her and everyone else in a fit of rage. He planned on having another heir, but his wife, Rebekka Prince, refused to give him another child. He would die a few years later from a stroke in 1966. Because of his death, Rebekka became the inheritor of the family legacy, but she later fell victim to death as well. Dying just a few weeks after her husband did. Some believe that she was so heartbroken of losing her children that her health and heart declined from it all."

Severus felt his heart sink as he heard the story. He couldn't help but acknowledge to himself that he had one messed up family. _On both sides_.

"After Rebekka passed, many of the disowned cousins of your family tried to take the matter to the Ministry, to allow for them to split the Prince fortune among themselves. However, because Cornelius disowned them, there was no way for anyone to get their hands on the inheritance. Until you, of course."

"But wait, if Cornelius disowned my mother, then why am I the sole heir? Shouldn't my mother's disowning also affect me too?"

"Well, yes and no. There is more than one answer to that question. Cornelius wasn't stupid, he knew to cut off any children that Eileen would have with her muggle husband. When he disowned Eileen and his other children, he made it clear that none of them were to be named heir to the Prince Dynasty, including any of their offspring. But he forgot a few loopholes that Rebekka realized. After Cornelius died, she added a few new details in hopes of correcting what your grandfather did. You see, no one can change the disowning of someone once it has been done, only the person who activated that disowning can do that. And although there is a way to completely reset the rules that one has made, the process can kill the one trying to do it if their magical core aren't strong enough. Your grandmother wanted to try, but she was going through a rough time and wasn't strong enough.

"However, she did realize that she could add in some new additions to make it possible for her children, and grandchildren, to reclaim their rightful place among the Prince family. While Rebekka couldn't lift her children's disowning, she declared that if they ever divorced or lost their spouse, then they would be given the option to change their last name back to Prince. Which would grant them, and their children, the ability to become part of the family once again and lay claim to part of the inheritance. As for the grandchildren, Rebekka could only grant that if both of their parents died before their seventeenth birthday, then they would be officially no longer disowned."

Severus sighed, wishing he could thank grandmother for her actions. If it wasn't for her, none of this would have ever been possible. From that moment on, he would see all of this as a gift. A gift from both Rebekka and Eileen. He wished that his mother could be there with him. If only she had known about this, then she could have divorced his pathetic excuse of a father and got to live a better life.

"The woman was a genius," Clawlock continued. "Being able to outsmart her own husband after his death. Sadly, she never got to see her children again. Cornelius made sure of that."

Severus nodded, understanding Eileen's reasons for running away in the first place. Even with a huge wealth like this, he couldn't blame his mother for it. He probably would have too.

"What happened to the other children? I don't remember my mother saying anything about siblings."

"Cornelius and Rebekka had three children together; Helena, Maximillian and Eileen. Maximillian left the family to marry a muggleborn witch he fell in love with. He didn't waste time leaving the country and disappearing to travel the world with her. Even if he was still alive, I highly doubt he would ever want to have anything to do with the Prince family. It was no secret that Cornelius and his son despised each other.

"Helena and Eileen would later follow in his footsteps, but for different reasons. Helena's whereabouts are unknown, just like Maximillian. Although it is believed that she has married a wizard who wasn't part of a power family, since Cornelius disowned her as well. Only Eileen is the one that I can account for, but you already know everything in that area."

Severus rubbed the sides of his head, taking in all the information at once. He couldn't believe that he once was involved with the pure-blood race and the stupid belief that it was for them to rule over everything. His own mother, aunt and uncle couldn't stand to live under someone like that, but yet he never paid attention to the details. In the last two weeks, his whole world had been turned upside down, making him question everything he had ever believed in. But looking back now, he was thankful for it. Now he was free to discover something new to believe in. Something better for himself.

Coming back to the matter at hand, Severus thought about his desire to enroll at either Rome or Salem.

"About the rest of the stuff that we need to get through, can we plan to finish all of that up after my fifth year is done?"

Clawlock thought about it and nodded.

"I can arrange for us to go through your overview of your finances in the afternoon between Saturday through Tuesday. It should take a few days to finish. But I have to ask, why so early? Wouldn't you like to enjoy your newly achieved wealth for a little while?"

Severus leaned up in the chair, preparing to ask _the_ question he had been waiting for hours to ask.

"Well, there's a reason for that, Mr. Clawlock. I've been thinking about enrolling at one of these two schools for my final two years. The Rome Wizarding Institution and the Salem Wizarding Academy. I was going to ask my headmaster at Hogwarts to allow me to exchange schools. But now that I'm officially the Lord of the Prince Dynasty, I no longer need his permission. Both schools starts in July for the summer time, but I've decided against doing the summer programs and just enroll as a permanent student. The fall term begins on the first of September, but all applications and enrollment requests must be turned in by the 30th of this month. So, I was wondering if you could send in a request to both schools for me?"

"Anything for you, Mr. Prince," Clawlock smiled. "I can have the necessary request papers sent tomorrow. However, if you don't mind me asking, why are you leaving Hogwarts? Isn't it the best educational school in the Wizarding World?"

Severus swallowed, deciding to keep to a shorter version of the story.

"In terms of education? Yes, it is. But recently I've been getting a lot of prejudice for being a Slytherin. Not to mention the Death Eaters are giving me a hard time as well, trying to bring people to You-Know-Who's side. I just don't feel safe or happy here in London to accomplish what I want to do. So I thought about starting anew somewhere else."

"I can understand the need to get away from all of that. We goblins may not take sides when it comes to war, but we do have our own opinions. I highly agree with your decision to leave Britain at this very moment, considering how dire things are getting with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. We goblins despise the Dark Arts. But, seeing how you will be visiting Britain about your finances, I highly advise you to keep away from any other pure-blood families. Some of them are in league with the Death Eaters and are looking for new blood all the time. If word ever gets out that you have become the new Lord of the Prince Dynasty, you will instantly become a target for all to take notice of. And trust me when I say that many pure-blood families have their sources of finding out about things. How do you do think I knew that you would be free today? _Information_ is everything in this world, more than everybody realizes."

"What do you suggest I do, Clawlock?"

"You are young, healthy, intelligent, very talented and wealthy, but also alone. You don't have the luxury of having family to protect you, which is a great disadvantage. But it is also your greatest advantage as well. Because you are the last to carry on the Prince name, you have full control of a mass wealth and power, allowing you to make decisions on your own. Keep yourself hidden when in Britain by have safe houses and contingencies in place to protect yourself. By leaving for another school, you will be able to keep yourself out of arms reach of anyone, even the Ministry of Magic. However, I also advise you to make some friends wherever you go. Friends who can be of use to you in the future."

"That's a lot to go through. I think it would be best if we saved it all for the next time we meet. I really want to get through everything else that we need to do, but I need to be back at Spinner's End before tomorrow morning. You say that everything that has happened here today would not leave this room, correct?"

"Quite correct, Mr. Prince. If you so wish, I can personally see that all the work we have done today is filed properly at the Ministry of Magic and here at Gringotts as well, all under the _Sealed Act of Secrets._ Which is a way for any rich families, pure-blood or not, to officially become lords and powerful figures without going public. This would help keep your enemies from knowing about your inheritance. Including anyone else."

Severus nodded, "Yes, that sounds like both the best and safest option to do at this moment." He sighed, feeling relieved. "Back to the overview of my finances and among other things of my fortune, I was hoping that we could immediately get to work the day after the school year ends for the summer. I'm willing to work with any time that works with you."

"In that case, how about we meet back here on Saturday and discuss your future as a Prince, at the time of three in the afternoon. Which should give you enough time to walk here from the Hogwarts Express."

"Sounds reasonable. I will definitely be here at that time. Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Clawlock."

Clawlock nodded, folding his hands together.

"I live to serve the Prince family, Mr. Prince. And before you go, would you like a tour of some of the vaults? There's too many to see, but I figured that maybe you would like to withdrawal some money."

Severus's heart started to race. He suddenly felt like a little kid again. Or in this case, for the first time. He was so used to being under the pressure of money and the threat of no longer being able to go to Hogwarts because of how poor his parents were. Although, looking back, maybe not being able to go to Hogwarts wouldn't have been such a bad thing. But now, he no longer had that problem.

This day was just getting better and better.

Nodding in agreement, Severus stood up and replied, "Lead the way."

Clawlock smiled and stood up as well, motioning towards the door as the two exited the room.

* * *

Severus always knew how grand and impressive the underground tunnels of the Gringotts Bank was. But the moment he traveled down to the vaults with Clawlock on the cart, he was truly amazed by how the goblins had accomplished everything that they did. The cave tunnels of vaults went on for miles and miles. It almost felt like they could go straight to the center of the Earth. The Prince vaults selection was very deep underground, deeper than the Malfoys and the Blacks. When they finally arrived, Severus was standing at the beginning of a very long dark tunnel, with all the vaults having the symbol of the Prince dynasty labeled on them.

"How many vaults are there?" he asked.

"About fifteen hundred of them," Clawlock answered. "Like I said, the fortune you have inherited is huge. The biggest in the world, despite that no one knows about it. Everyone thinks the Malfoys or the legendary Peverells to be the richest of the rich. Oh, and by the way, these vaults aren't small." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a large golden key, which had the label of the Prince dynasty on it. "This is your Gringotts key. Whenever you visit Gringotts, bring it with you and you will be able to enter and exit your vaults with ease. You can even transfer funds into other accounts around the globe, including muggle banks and businesses of all kind. I took the liberty of adding a few spells and charms to only be used by its owner. If anyone steals it, all you have to do is whisper a key word or phrase and it will appear before you. If anyone tries to us it to access your vaults, the key refuse them and will let us know."

Severus took the key in his and felt something shoot across his body. The key started to glow and his hand tightened its grip around it without warning, almost as if some visible force was making him do it. A second later, the glowing stopped and his hand was his again.

"What happened?" he asked, studying the key over.

"That was the key becoming one with yourself, Mr. Prince," Clawlock answered. "It now recognizes you as the primary owner and will only obey you. If anyone gets their hands on it and somehow manages to make it down the vaults, the key will not open any vault doors for them. You may allow others access to the key, if you so decide. Say maybe a spouse if you marry in the future."

Severus blushed, but kept it hidden from the goblin.

"Now, think of a word that you can use to summon the key back to you. Something that you don't normally say out loud, but something that you will remember."

Severus thought for a moment and knew instantly what the key phrase would be. He put his lips next to the cold golden steel of the key and whispered, " _Eileen Prince, the Brave_." Immediately, he could feel the words echoing into the key and knew that the words he had spoken were now implanted into it.

"Excellent!" Clawlock clapped his hands together. "Now, lets start with vault number one."

* * *

It was another two hours later when Severus and Clawlock finally made their way back to the surface. They had gone through the first eleven vaults of the fifteen hundred that awaited them. But after the tenth vault, Severus was feeling tired and wanted to get back home before it became too late. He needed to get some rest before he had to return to Hogwarts in the morning. He decided to do his first withdrawal of three thousand galleons from his accounts. Hoping to put it to good use before getting a bus ride home.

Before he left, the two of them stood at the main doors of the lobby.

"Thank you for everything, Clawlock," Severus shook his hand, nodding in respect to him.

Clawlock nodded back and replied, "The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Prince. I will see to it that everything you have requested is done and look forward to seeing you again on Saturday. May great fortune come wherever you go."

"As to you," Severus turned and walked out the large doors of the bank, disappearing into the crowds of people before him.

Having visited Diagon Alley plenty of times, Severus found exactly what he was looking for. He visited a body and hair shop, who specialized from haircuts to body makeovers. If there was one thing he knew he needed to correct the most about himself, other than his personality, it was most definitely his oily greasy hair, hygiene and the structure of his face. He had been doing a better job of making himself smell much nicer for the last two weeks, but he knew he needed better body wash materials.

One of the employees did his hair, cutting it short, and then used a special kind of potion to clean up the greasiness of his hair. Once that was done, he had his face and neck looked over, changing the facial structure, while also keeping a bit of the same appearance.

When it was all done, he looked himself in the mirror and couldn't believe the face that was looking back at him. His hair no longer covered his face, having been cut to only stop just before the edge of his forehead. The style of his hair was no longer straight, but curly and more brownish, with a mix of black as well. It also had been combed and jelled, adding a more handsome appearance. There was no longer any grease or oils. His face and neck looked spotless and radiant. His skin looked a bit more tan, replacing the sallow pale. And his once long, hooked nose was now a normal size.

Fully satisfied, he paid for the work done for him, making sure to buy the same materials that were used on him. He also bought some better body wash potions and cologne. From that moment forward, he was going to take way better care of his body.

Next, he visited a teeth fixing shop and got his teeth renewed, replacing the yellow color for white.

After that, he went to a robes shop, buying a few new fancy clothes to wear. He wasn't looking for anything expensive or stylizing, but he was wanting to look better. He also bought a brand-new school robes as well, knowing that he was way overdue for a new one. While at it, he bought some new undergarments, as his old ones were far beyond saving.

By the end of it all, he had spent nearly two thousand and three hundred galleons. Normally he would find himself worrying about how he would be able to raise up more money for later, but not now. For the first time in entire life, he left Diagon's Alley without a single worry in him. He left feeling relaxed and happy.

Catching a bus ride back home, he immediately started preparing for the next following day. Setting out his new robes and his new purchased items on his father's old chair, he showered and prepared for bed.

Pausing at the mirror in the bathroom, he looked at his reflection and couldn't help but admire his new look. He also had to admit that he looked more handsome than before. The only problem that remained was the rest of his physical body. He was way too thin and the skin below his neck still had the sallow pale color, not to mention old bruises and scars too. He needed to eat better food and gain some more weight. Maybe even work out and gain the body of an athlete. Sure, the scars would always remain, but he liked to think of 'em as 'reminders'.

As he turned out the lights and fell asleep on the couch, he could feel a sense of happiness within him. While he still couldn't bring himself to actually smile for real, it was more than enough for the moment. There was always tomorrow to learn.

As the hours passed, Severus began to stir and moan in his sleep, mumbling out-of-place words. Because of everything that had happened that day, he had forgotten about the dreams that always hunted him at night. He was soon crying out in fear and agony, his hands turning into fists as they grabbed ahold of the blanket.

His eyes opened and he quickly leaned up on the couch, breathing heavily. He was completely oblivious to the fact that he was covered in sweat. Resting his head into his hands, he was instantly reminded of the letter he wrote to his mother and wondered if she had gotten it before she died. He knew the letter would have been taken in by the Aurors and would be released back to him in matter of days, along with his mother's wand.

Questions raced in his mind. He wondered if she had planned on telling everything she knew before her tragic death. If she even knew what the dreams were about and if they were real. He had his ideas and theories, but now he was worried that maybe the truth was officially buried away with him mom now.

Was he meant to never find out? Or was there another way for him to learn the truth?

His eyes narrowed and a look of determination appeared on his face.

* * *

 **Okay, that took a while to write. Whew! This is actually the biggest chapter in any story I've ever written. Over 10,000 words! I can't promise that every chapter will be this long. Which, to be fair, I think I won't ever write a chapter this big again. I just found myself in the zone and just wrote away. But, yeah, if I happen to write something this big by any chance again, I will just split it into two parts.**

 **Anyway, I figured it was about time that Severus started to have some good things happening to him for once. Because (like 'PiffyEQ' has stated) we've seen Severus go through pretty much the worst of everything life has to offer. And when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go from there is up. ;)**

 **Once again, I deeply apologize for any grammar errors or missing words. I do try to go back and correct as many mistakes as I can. I just recently corrected my spelling of Tobias and Spinner's End (thanks for the heads up, 'InfernalCadavers' ;)).**

 **Oh, I should talk about what I said about the deaths of Eileen and Tobias from chapter five. Well I'm going to have to go back on my word on what I said. I was going to leave it up to you, the audience, to decide whether or not the way how they did was how it originally happened in the original timeline. Or if it was just part of how things were changing because of everything. Well, with the new information from this chapter, I'm going to have to officially say that this isn't how it originally happened in the original timeline. You see, I want to keep this story as close to the original canon of Harry Potter as possible. Or at least remain true to the events of HP, while also creating an alternate universe based on that timeline. And as far as I'm concerned, Severus never became the heir to the Prince family in the HP canon (unless I missed something, please let me know if I'm wrong). So I needed a reason for why he was able to become the heir in this timeline, and also why he never did in the HP canon timeline. So I decided that with the death of Eileen, Severus was able to become the heir, due to Rebekka Prince's efforts to change the rules of the 'disowning' of the Prince children. And since Sev was under the age of seventeen, he was no longer disowned when his mother died. But in the original timeline, Sev's parents died after he turned seventeen (as far as I'm concerned, could be wrong on that too), which made it impossible for him to become the heir. I hope I didn't confuse any of you. I tried doing my research from " _Harry Potter wiki_ " (which is a pretty awesome source of information), but I could have missed a couple of things (feel free to let me know if I did).**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": _'I'm happy that you are a fan of 'A Prince Rising' as well. I did indeed took a lot of inspiration from that story, because its just so freaking good. I'm just crossing my fingers that I can live up to its greatness. I hope this chapter satisfied you with enough answers on certain things about Severus and also his grandparents. I did originally thought about having his grandmother be alive, but then I was hit with the realization of a plothole:_ _'If Rebekka was alive the whole time, then why didn't she ever make an attempt to reconnect with her daughter?' So, yeah, you see the problem here. I figured throwing in a sad backstory would make up for the emotional scene I was hoping to write between Sev and Rebekka. And man, you sure don't like Lily! Which I can see why. But, anyway, I can promise you that good things on the horizon for our young Slytherin, just hang in there, my friend.'_ ;)**

 **Message to "Guest" and "atymer": _'Patience my readers. I can promise you that all of your questions will be answered... in later chapters that is (haha!).'_ ;)**

 **Message to "Good Idea": _'I agree with almost everything you have to say about Lily. I've always wondered about her myself when I read the Harry Potter books. Sometimes I wonder if J.K. Rowling meant for a sense of 'unreliable narration', considering all we hear and see of Lily is through the way of how others talk about her. In fact, we only once get to see a POV from Severus of who she was, which surprisingly went against some things that we were told about her. Like, for example, this is a girl who was said to be extremely smart. Except she couldn't figure out Remus Lupin was a freaking werewolf! This was something that Hermione figured out within a year. Not once in all of Lily's five to six years did she figure it out. And the most hilarious part is that Severus already guessed it right and told her, only to receive the old classic "you're crazy" talk from her. Oh, and the one thing that actually really made me pissed at her character was after Severus nearly died by Werewolf Lupin, after Sirius tricked him. All she did was complain about how he wasn't thankful to James for saving his life, but never once did she seem worried or concerned that her_ _'best friend nearly died!' Okay, granted, she didn't know it was a werewolf, but she still never once showed concern. So, yeah, trust me when I say that I do see a lot of flaws in her character, despite that I may defend her sometimes. I'm in the same boat with ya.'_ ;)**

 **Anyway, I'll try to get to work on the next chapter as soon as possible, but I can't promise when I'll be posting it. I've spent countless hours writing and trying to edit this chapter. So I need a little break.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and I'll see you all in chapter eight! ;)**


	8. Making Amends

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Once again, sorry for the late update. I've been a little busy (and lazy). But anyway, I'm trying to keep the updating at below two weeks, although I'm also trying to make it a once a week thing. It just takes a while to write. Not to mention actually get it right too. I think I re-wrote the beginning twice already.**

 **I should warn you that I am bumping this up to a rated-M kind of story. Trust me, you'll see why.**

 **Something is going to happen in this story that will be a little head of schedule in the main canon of the books. I think some of you might know what it is, but for those who don't, you will.**

 **I also apologize if the story is seemingly repeating itself (yes, I kinda have that problem), but I can promise that it is to help build up what this story is all about. I just hope it pays off in the end.**

 **Please enjoy, chapter eight! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight:**

 **Making Amends**

* * *

The day Dumbledore was scheduled to pick him up, Severus reconsidered going back to Hogwarts with his new look. He loved the new _him_ , but he worried that it would raise questions on how he would have been able to afford it. There was a part of him that wanted to show off his change in appearance and maybe even make James Potter jealous as revenge. But after his run-in with Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black, he knew that anyone from Slytherin would report back to him if he was seen in his new look. And he most definitely didn't want to leave clues or suspicion about his newly found wealth. The Dark Lord had already set his sights on him and his inheritance of the Prince fortune would immediately place him above the _most-wanted_ list. He meant what he said, to both Lily and Lucius, that he was done with them. All he saw was bullies when it came to the Death Eaters and those on the other side. As far as he was concerned, they were just like James and the Marauders. And he wasn't about to be pulled back into it all, again.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

His worries drifted to Dumbledore. What would happen if his inheritance reached his attention? Only one logical answer came to mind. He would be pressured to join him and his _group_ , in order to fight the Dark Lord himself and his Death Eaters. While he wasn't against the idea of helping in the war against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, he didn't want to be part of Dumbledore's group. Or whatever the name had given it. He didn't want to be under the influence and control of the headmaster. Someone who could determine his fate and use his money to his own will. And not only that, but so many people would treat him differently. They would only be interested in him for his money and status, not for who he was. Or he was trying to become. It was his dream to be accepted and looked at like a normal person. Just someone who was living his life. Not a Death Eater in the making or a wounded animal who people felt sorry for. He wanted to make friends based on what was in front of them. And he didn't need girls trying to get his attention or some genius student trying to win his company.

No, he needed to keep everything a secret until he was finally away from Hogwarts. But he needed a way to temporarily hide his appearance without suspicion. His only option was to use _Polyjuice Potion_ to return to his original look. The good news was that the basement of the house, despite how tiny it was, held a few certain potions and among other things as well. During his summers he would spend his time brewing potions of all kinds and preserving them. Even keeping samples of his hair, blood and skin for testing. The bad news was that it had been a year since he last updated his samples of himself. But he figured that maybe he would be able to get away with looking just a little younger using by using his grief over his mother as cover.

Not being able to sleep because of the dreams, he was able to use the potion to return to his previous state. He hated himself for doing it when he looked back in the mirror and met the face of the person he was so desparately trying to get away from. He wished he had waited to change his appearance in Diagon Alley by Saturday, then he wouldn't had to worry about his fortune being discovered. But he couldn't dwell on regrets or even have them on his mind at the moment. Not when Dumbledore was coming to his doorstep.

Seeing that he had a few hours before the headmaster was due to arrive, Severus decided that he needed to work out and begin his journey to physical fitness. Dressing in a muggle t-shirt and some pants, which were torn up and faded, he did a few laps outside. Running around the park just a ways from his house. It was still dark out, but he didn't mind. Once coming back inside, he did some push-ups and sit-ups on the living room floor. By the time he thought he had enough, his whole body was covered in sweat. His arms, legs and stomach ached in pain from the exercising. Memories of the exercising commercials he used to see on the television made him chuckle. The muggles always made exercising look fun and encouraging. But in reality, it felt like this. Dying in the middle of the living room, covered in sweat and feeling every little bit of pain your body was in. It almost had him want to stop this and never do it again. But his Slytherin side told him to suck it up and focus on the endgame. The reason why he was doing it.

Picking himself off the floor, he climbed the stairs and took a shower, using the new body wash potions on himself. Dressing in his new Hogwarts robes, he ate a bowl of muggle cereal in the living room, noticing that the sun was starting to rise outside. While cleaning his bowl in the kitchen, he heard the doorbell ring and dried his hands, going to answer the door.

He met the face of Albus Dumbledore, who smiled at him and took notice of his new robes. When asked about how he required them, Severus told half the truth and said that he went shopping at Diagon Alley the other day, in order to keep himself busy. Dumbledore easily took his word for it, satisfied. Once grabbing his wand and his journals, including sneaking a few _Polyjuice Potions_ along with him, he exited the house and _Disapparited_ away with the headmaster, back to Hogwarts.

* * *

For almost the past three days, Lily Evans found herself worrying about her ex-best friend, Severus Snape. The first day he didn't show up for classes, she paid no attention and blushed it off. But on the second day, she began worry. It was unlike of Severus to miss his classes in this many days, unless if he was in the hospital wing from one of the Maraudar's pranks. She knew about him being hospitalized last week, but the word was that James and his friends played another prank on him outside the Common Room of Slytherin. Although James denied it when asked, everyone still ran with that theory. Even she believed it. What else could have happened that put him in the hospital?

By the third day, after doing her rounds as Perfect, she went to the hospital wing and found that he wasn't there, increasing her worries. Before breakfast was over, she found Slughorn in the hallway and ran up next to him.

"Um, excuse me, Professor?"

Slughorn turned towards her and smiled, "Oh, good morning, Mrs. Evans! How may I help you?"

Returning his smile, she asked, "Have you seen Severus by any chance? I just noticed that he has been gone for the past two days and when I went to see if he was in the hospital wing just a little while ago, he wasn't there."

Slughorn nodded and replied, "Well, I can assure you that Mr. Snape is fine and is returning today. On Monday night, Professor Dumbledore came to get him during his final detention with me, and later told me that the young man was sent home for the next two days."

"Is everything alright?" her heart sank, her worry returning once again.

"Don't worry, my dear. Mr. Snape was sent home to take care of something important. While Dumbledore didn't say exactly what was going on, it didn't sound too serious. In fact, Dumbledore should be back with Mr. Snape right now. He must be in his dormitory or at breakfast. There is nothing to fear, Mrs. Evans."

Although a little skeptical, she felt her worry disappearing and smiled.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Anytime, Mrs. Evans!"

Nodding, Lily turned around and walked for her first class of the day, feeling relieved.

* * *

The day went by faster than Severus thought it would. He completed nearly all of his O.W.L.s and had stayed under the radar of the Marauders. He was surprised that they didn't try to prank him when he got back. In fact, they didn't seem to notice he was gone for the last two days, although he was grateful for it. Either they were busy with their O.W.L.s or they just only recognize his existence when they see him in person. He wondered if they wouldn't notice he was gone next year.

The thing he had to worry about was his house members. Every once and a while he would find Avery, Mulciber and Rosier glaring at him during their O.W.L.s and he could feel their eyes staring at the back of his head. It made his skin crawl as he tried to concentrate. The only thing that kept his worry at bay was the thought of knowing he was never coming back to Hogwarts again next year. All he had to do was make through the day, then the next, and he was free from them all.

By the time classes were over, he went outside to enjoy the beautiful day. Instead of sitting under the tree as he usually did, he went to the side of the lake and sat down, studying for his final three O.W.L.s for the next day. His heart jumped with excitement as he realized that he was so close to nearly being done. There was a sense of wonder and curiousity for what was going to happen to him next. Because after that, he was entering uncharted territories and the possibilities were endless. He hadn't felt this excited for something since he got his Hogwarts acceptance letters. And although he had his worries and doubts, nothing could outweigh the happiness he was feeling at the moment.

As he studied, he barely noticed as the sun got lower in the distance.

"Leave me alone!" someone screamed.

Turning to his side to see what was going on, he saw Avery, Mulciber, Nott, Rosier, and Jax pushing Mary McDonald around, who was crying. They sent spells her way, intentionally missing just inches from her feet. One would push her and the other would grab her from falling to the ground, only to push her back into the middle of the circle they made around her. Soon they had her backed up against the tree, her cries getting louder as her face lit up red with anger and fear. She reached for her wand, only for one for them to disarm her.

"Filthy _Mudblood_!" Mulciber spat the words out with great venom. "Crying like a little baby, because your feelings got hurt. My parents are right about your kind. You are abominations."

"JUST! LEAVE! ME! ALONE!" Mary was screaming at the top of her lungs. The tears came violently as she sank down alongside the tree, coming to rest on the trunk beneath her. She hid herself in her arms, bringing her legs close to her chest.

Surprisingly, there was no one else around to hear the screams. Everyone had went inside to get ready for dinner in the Great Hall. Except for Severus himself.

Mulciber smiled as he brought his wand up and prepared to cast the first spell that came to mind. However, before he knew what happened next, he felt his wand suddenly disapper from his hands and was met with a _Stupefly_ on his side, sending him into the air and crashing against the ground, unconscious.

The others found themselves frozen from shock, slowly taking in what happened before another _Stupefly_ hit Jax and knocked him out. Still caught off guard, they turned too late to see Severus running towards them, his face red with anger and his energy fueled by pure fury. He didn't know what came over him. The moment he saw what they were doing to Mary, he remembered the _incident_ from two weeks ago and felt this rage within him. He couldn't remember how he got from the lake to the tree. All that came to mind was how much he wanted to see them pay. Not for what they did to him last week, surprisingly. But for what they were doing now. Just the very thought of them bullying another person, Gryffindor or not, made his blood boil. His own mind was solely focused on the three who were still standing. He sent a couple more spells towards them, acting purely on instinct. They managed to deflect them, coming back to their senses.

Remembering what he learned in DADA, he positioned himself in a fighting position and deflected any spells that they sent towards him. He played defense and then offense, switching to confuse them. He managed to get himself in between them and Mary, who was now standing and watching awe.

 _Stupid girl!_ he screamed in his mind. _Why didn't you get_ _out of here while they were distracted!_

But she remained where she was, frozen by shock of what she was seeing. She was witnessing Severus Snape, a _Slytherin_ , putting himself in harms way to protect her. It went against everything she believed about him. No Slytherin had ever come to her defense.

Seeing an opening, he sent a hex towards Rosier and him on his shoulder, making her drop to one knee.

"Alright enough!" he yelled.

Both Avery and Nott stopped casting spells and regrouped around Avery, their wands still trained on Severus.

Making sure his body was covering Mary, he turned his head slightly towards her, still keeping his attention on his enemy.

"McDonald," he whispered. "Move with me and run back to the castle. I'll make sure they won't follow. Do you understand me?"

Letting his words sink in, she nodded.

Seeing her wand on the ground, he pointed his wand towards it, " _Accio,_ wand!"

Obeying his command, the wand flew towards him and landed in his free hand, reaching back to give it back to Mary, who immediately snatched it from him.

Slowly moving around the three Slytherins, Severus watched from the corner of his eyes as Mary made her way back up the hill, heading towards the tower. Never once did she look back, which Severus highly applauded in his mind. The last thing he needed for was her to worry about his safety. Besides, that was his job.

"You made a terrible mistake in doing that, Snape!" Avery yelled in anger. "If you thought what we did before was tough, then you haven't seen anything yet!"

"Spare me your lame threats, Avery," he sneered. "You can't do anything to me that hasn't been done before."

"Oh, trust me," Avery was chuckling. "The next curse we use on you will put you down more permanently than the previous did. Even if we don't, someone else will see to it that you are punished for turning your back on us."

"Then I offer some advice to you and your precious Death Eaters when that day comes... ' _you better not miss'!_ "

Avery growled in frustration as Rosier and Nott picked up Mulciber and Jax, who were still unconscious, carrying them by their shoulders. They circled around Severus, still having their wands trained on him. Once they made it far enough up the hill, they lowered their wands and disappeared into the castle, leaving him alone.

Sighing in relief, he stood there for a while, letting the events register in his mind and cool down, before deciding to head back in. He knew that he needed to keep away from his house until after dinner, where he would have the time to ward his bed and settle in early. Just like last time, his house mates would seek revenge and it would be much worse if he wasn't careful. It was a good thing that he could learn from his past mistakes. He managed to attack five opponents and get away unscratched.

As he walked down the hallway, he heard crying coming from one of the abandoned classes and went to investigate, wondering if it was Mary. Opening the door to the classroom, he walked on in, seeing the dust in the air as the sunlight shined through the windows. He immediately saw Mary in the corner, sniffling. Her knees were up against her chest, with her arms around them. Her head rested on top of her knees, tears slowly riding down her legs.

He slowly approached and took a chair from one of the student desks, positioning it in front of her and sat down.

The whole time she didn't hear him, most likely lost in her thoughts.

 _Gryffindors!_ he heard the Slytherin voice in his head scoffed. _Always letting their emotions run everything. Pathetic!_

 _Well, what the hell did you expect?_ another voice asked. _She's a teenager girl. Even Slytherin has a few like her. Although at least this one isn't as big of a bitch as they are._

 _True._

Shaking his head, he leaned forward, folding his hands together. He felt uncomfortable being there, questioning himself why he even came in the first place. He had saved her and it should be more than enough. But there was a side to him that knew that if he truly wanted to change, then he should start by trying to care and take part in socializing.

"Um, Mary?" he called her by her first name.

Mary's head snapped right up and her eyes looked into his eyes, fear and sadness deep within them.

"Wha-" she sniffled, barely able to speak. "Wha- What do... you... want, Snape?"

Unsure how to answer, he thought for a moment before answering.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know. I just thought I should check up on you."

"Why?" she looked confused.

"I don't know. Isn't that what people do when someone looks like they need help?"

"But you're a Slytherin."

"And you're a Gryffindor. Thank you, _Captain Obvious!_ " he was getting annoyed with her, but he withheld his tongue from saying anything foolish to push her away. He shook his head and looked back at her. "What happened that made them bully you around?"

Mary shrugged and replied, "Other than the fact that I'm _muggleborn_ and my very existence is a crime? That's all Slytherins ever need to attack someone."

Severus didn't say anything as he studied her and nodded.

"I think you should go to Professor Minerva or Professor Dumbledore and tell them what Mulciber, Avery and the others have done. But whatever you do, don't mention me at all."

Mary looked at him in shock and confusion, wondering why he would want to be left out of the whole thing. As much as she hated to admit it, he didn't do anything wrong. All he did was come to her rescue. And yet he was asking her to keep quiet about him.

"But... why?"

"Because I've had enough attention from the teachers. And the last thing I need is for this school to start thinking of me as a hero. Because I am most definitely not that. It's probably the only thing that all of Gryffindor can agree with me on. I don't want you to mention me. As far as you are concerned, I was never there. Alright?"

It took a while before Mary blinked and nodded.

"I need to hear you say it," his tone got a little serious.

"Okay, yes, I promise I won't mention you," she rolled her eyes, frustrated with him. "You don't have to be such a jerk."

"Try living my life and see whether or not you come out any different," he stood up and headed towards the door. As he was about to exit, he stopped and looked back at her, sighing to himself.

"I'm sorry."

Mary looked up again and frowned, confused by his words.

"What?"

Severus hated apologizing. It felt like admitting defeat and being humiliated for it. But he didn't care about his own feelings at the moment. This was something he needed to say before he left this world behind for good. He needed to at least try to make amends in the only way he knows how to.

"I'm sorry for all the times I've been mean to you," he looked away, staring at the floor. "I know I've been a jerk, an asshole even. I'm also sorry for doing nothing when my house members teased and bullied you. I know what its like to be the _play thing_ for someone to push around. No one should have to go through all of that because of something so stupid like blood status. I don't expect you to understand my reasons for saying this, nor do I expect you to forgive me. To be honest, it won't matter anymore. All that matters is that you know that I don't judge you for being a muggleborn. I've heard about your grades and even I have to admit that you are a pretty smart witch. I may not have a found liking to Gryffindor, but they are lucky to have someone like you. Especially when it comes to Lily." He paused. "I just want to say that _I'm sorry_. For everything."

He immediately exited the room and didn't get the chance to see the tears running down Mary's eyes, who was frozen in place. Taken back by his words.

Knowing that dinner in the Great Hall had already started, or was getting close to starting, he made his way to the Slytherin Common Room. While walking he couldn't help but feel a weight on his shoulders being lifted and a sense of peace in his heart. He felt like smiling, for no apparent reason. Never before in his life did he ever feel this way. Not even when he was a little boy and friends with Lily. Sure, there were times when even he had to smile for something. But to actually smile for no reason and want to do it, that was foreign to him.

Pushing those feelings aside, he was on alert and hoping that no more complications of any kind were going to happen to him for the night. If anything did happen right then and there, he was going to cuss up a storm.

"Oi, Snivellus!" came the voice of James Potter from behind him.

 _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ Severus screamed inside his head. _Can't I have one fucking night without anything fucking happening in this fucking school?!_

Abruptly coming to a stopping, his face lit up red and turned around. He watched as James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin approached him, their expressions filled with anger. With the exception of Remus, who looked concerned. The fact that they weren't smiling like idiots would have been a surprise to him, but he was in a bad mood at the moment to notice.

"What the hell did you do to Mary?!" James demanded.

 _Great! I ask her to do one simple thing and she couldn't do it._

"I don't know what you mean, Potter," Severus replied, cooling himself down to make his face expressionless.

"We saw you leave that classroom and when we entered, we found Mary crying her eyes out, barely able to speak," Sirius pointed at him, accusingly. "But she kept on mentioning your name."

"I didn't do anything bad to her, if that is what you think I did. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to retire for the evening."

Just as he turned to leave, he felt a hand grab him by the shoulder. He felt the force of the hand make him turn around and meet the eyes of James.

"I swear, Snivellus," he spoke with hatred in his voice. "If you did anything to her, I'll personally see to it that you're life is a miserable hell until the day you die!"

"Oh my, what am I going to do?" he mockingly made a frightened face, his tone of voice hinting annoyance. "It isn't like I'm bullied every single day and forced to endure your pranks that sometimes end up with me in the hospital wing. Or that I go home to an abusive, drunk dad, who wishes he had killed me on the day I was born. Oh, or that I'm hated and tortured by own housemates. Yes, Potter, please show me what a miserable life is like! Because obviously the one I've been living was filled with colorful rainbows and nothing but the kindness of everyone's hearts!"

"Oh shut up, Snivellus!" Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You above all deserve the things that have happened to you. Don't act like you're the victim in all of this."

Even in his anger, Severus began to think about his words and also what he had said to Mary back in the abandoned classroom, letting processing sink in. Was he deserving of all the things that the Marauders had done to him? He had no doubt that their pranks were beyond what Dumbledore called " _harmless pranks of young boys"_. How many times had they pranked someone and got away with it, even if their pranks ended with someone in the hospital wing? While Slytherin was high on their list, especially him, others from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and even Gryffindor all experienced their pranks over the years, although they weren't near as harsh as to what they had in store for him.

Then the realization hit him like looking into clear water. Something that he never saw but was right in front of him the whole time. Both he and James were two sides of the same coin. One was born in the light. The other... in darkness. Like the two names, Slytherin and Gryffindor, they were always at war with each other. Always looking for harsh comebacks and reckless attempts to hurt each other. But in the process, they ended up hurting others. Even the reactions of how others saw them were different, but yet the same. Whenever James did something against him or anyone in Slytherin, he was rewarded and allowed to escape punishment. But for him, Severus, he was always blamed and punished for his misdeeds, despite whether or not he was justified. Maybe there would be those who would criticize James for his immature behavior, just like how there would be others who would praise Severus for his continuation of the Dark Arts. But, in the end, they were both the same thing. They were _bullies_. James was the prankster and Severus was the discourager.

Two sides of the coin. In a war that would have no winners.

And that war had brought him to this. Becoming obsessed with the Dark Arts and hardening himself so he could escape the pain and suffering of his life. He had defended the horrible things that his house members had done. Using the Dark Arts to create spells that caused harm to others. And in the process, he began losing parts of his soul along the way. It already cost him Lily, his mother and five years of his life.

 _Enough is enough,_ he declared to himself.

Looking away from James, he looked towards the ground and began chuckling, letting the realization fully set in.

James and the Marauders looked at each other, caught off guard by his reaction.

"Potter," Severus looked back into his eyes. "Why do we keep doing this?"

Taken back, James narrowed his eyes.

"What are you on about, Snivellus?"

"I mean, why do we keep on doing _this_?" his tone and expression became serious. "Ever since the day we met, we've been at each other's throats. Years of pranking, naming-calling and causing one another misery. All of it repeating in a circle that goes around and around, with no end in sight. And I'm so tired of it." He stretched his armies out to his sides, leaving himself vulnerable and open for attack. "So whatever you plan on doing to me, do your worst. Because I am so goddamn tired of this, that I am not even going to defend myself."

Shock was on both James and Sirius's faces. Not being able to believe what they were hearing. Peter and Remus took a step back, fearing what was going to happen next.

"What is this?" James took out his wand. "What are you up to, Snivellus?"

"Nothing," he replied.

"What do you mean, ' _nothing_ '? Come on! Say something back. Defend yourself."

"No."

"Why?"

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed to himself.

 _Bloody idiot!_

"I've already said why. _I'm tired_. From this moment on, I'm officially calling off this war with you. I'm done with our pathetic rivalry. I'll even give you what you want to hear. ' _You win'._ There, I said it! Are you happy now?! Does it give you satisfaction?! As much as I want to blame you for making me lose Lily, which I do, I recognize the true problem here. It was me as well. I kept on pushing her away and I finally got my wish. But you had a big hand in it as well, Potter. If I had put a stop to our rivalry earlier, then maybe I wouldn't be who I am now. And maybe, just maybe, I could have been a better friend to Lily and still have her in my life. But no! I continued to give in to your bullying and I continued down a dark path that led to everything that has happened now. Well, I'm officially putting an end to it! Tonight! Before I lose what is left of myself! So go ahead, do your worst! I'm fully ready for it!"

James was at a loss of words, unable to process what he was hearing. His hand and arm started to shake, conflicted with what to do next. The spell he planned on using on him was on the tip of his lips, but his own body refused to obey him. A hand rested on his shoulder and he turned to find it belonged to Remus, who was uncertain of what he was going to do to Severus.

"James, leave it be," he pleaded. "If you attack him like this, then the blame will surely fall on you. He doesn't have his wand out and isn't defending himself." He swallowed. "If you attack him, I will be forced to tell Dumbledore of what you did as a Perfect."

Everyone stared at Remus with complete shock, especially Severus.

Never before in Severus's life had he ever witness Remus Lupin actually grow a back bone and speak his mind towards his best friend like this. All the times the Marauders would bully and humiliate him, it was Remus who would keep his distance and turn the other way. It always escaped him of how someone like Remus would be made Perfect. Sure, he wasn't a bully and was known to shoulder responsibility when it came to things outside the Marauders. But the very fact that he was letting his best friends get away with the things that they did was what made him question how no one else saw this one flaw in his character. A part of him knew that Dumbledore had a hand in making him Perfect. In fact, he fully believed the old man was hiding the young Gryffindor's secret of being a werewolf too. A theory he fully believed in, but no one would believe him. Especially Lily.

As everyone started at Remus with big eyes of shock, it was James who broke the silence and lowered his wand. He looked back at Severus and gave him a look of anger and frustration.

 _Aw, poor little bully didn't get to bully anyone today,_ Severus teased.

"This isn't over, Snivellus!" James declared and turned away from him, rudely shoving himself between Sirius and Peter, who immediately followed behind him, glaring back at Severus as they walked away.

Remus gave him a look of sympathy and turned away as well, never looking back as he ran to catch up with his friends.

Once lowering his hands, Severus started walking back to the Slytherin Common Room. But as he walked down the hallways of Hogwarts, he felt a much bigger sense of peace within himself than ever before. Like another weight was being lifted off of his shoulders. It felt so good that he actually smiled.

* * *

It was nearing curfew as Lily sat on one of the couches in the Gryffindor Common Room, studying up on her last O.W.L.s for the next day. She left dinner in the Great Hall a little early, hoping to get some peace and alone time, since she was officially free from Perfect duties for the night. She was about to head to the girls dormitory and get ready for bed, knowing that her fellow Gryffindors would be on their back from dinner by now.

Her thoughts drifted to the final day of school for tomorrow, letting reality settle in as she realized her fifth year would over by the very next day and then on Saturday morning, she and the rest of Hogwarts would be back home with their families. Only two more years of being a student at Hogwarts were left and she was already wondering what she wanted to be in life once it was all over. She thought about becoming an Auror, hoping to fight against You-Know-Who and put an end to the Death Eaters. But that wasn't all. She wanted to have a family, like her mother and father. Marry a handsome man and have one or two children. She already had a boys' name picked out.

 _Harry_.

The very name brought a smile to her face. It was the name of her grandfather, Harry David Evans. Back when she was little, her grandfather would tell stories to her and knew exactly how to capture her attention and how to make her laugh. He was a World War II veteran, having fought as a SAS soldier. But he rarely spoke of his time during the war. Even when she asked, he would respond that it was too painful and wasn't for little beautiful children like her to know about just yet. She figured that maybe this was what inspired her to want to join the Aurors. Although she did have her sights on other things as well.

Just as she was about to carry her stuff up to her dormitory, she heard the painting of the Fat Lady opening and was halted to a stop when she heard a girl crying, along with the words of comfort from others. Other students also entered, looking over to see what the commotion was about.

Turning her head, she saw Mary being led to one of the couches in the Common Room, being surrounded by several girls.

Worried, she went to her and got to her knees, touching the side of her cheek, feeling the tears she had shed.

"Mary! Are you alright?"

Mary slowly looked towards her and a new look appeared on her face, almost like her face reminded her of something, making her cry once again.

More worried now, Lily got up and took her hand.

"Lets get you to Madam Pomfrey," she tried to pull her up, only to feel her resist.

Mary shook her head and replied, "No... I'm fine... I've already went to see Dumbledore."

"What happened," Lily sat down right next to her, while the other girls looked at them, worried.

Sighing and taking a deep breathe, Mary looked into the fireplace.

"I was attacked by Mulciber and his gang a little while ago."

Whispering instantly started as Mary continued.

"It was worse than before. They used to just prank or curse me, but now they are physically bullying me. I was so scared, Lily..."

Lily took her in a tight embrace as she began to cry again, sniffling as she wiped her nose.

"And then... Severus Snape rescued me from them."

Gasps went around them, looks of shock and wide eyes. Even Lily was caught off guard and looked into Mary's eyes, her expression questioning what she had told her.

"Severus?"

Mary nodded.

"I don't know why. But he saved me from them. I didn't even know he was down by the lake. I thought I was alone with those... _monsters._ But then there he was, coming straight out of nowhere, like a ghost from the darkness. He used himself as cover to allow for me to get away."

As everyone was whispering amongst each other, two girls in the crowd looked to each other and gave each other knowingly glances. Alice Fortescue took pleasure as she mouthed the words, _'I told you so'_ , towards Rachel, who stuck out her tongue back at her.

"But that wasn't all," Mary continued.

Lily frowned, worried that Severus might had done something to make her cry. But what she heard next shocked her to her very core.

"After I managed to get away, Snape came to see me. At first I was expecting him to criticize me and be jerk, which he kinda was, but he..." she paused. "He... apologized..."

"What?! No way!" one of the girls in the crowd nearly shouted.

"I'm not kidding. Severus apologized for... everything. For what his Slytherin housemates had done to me. For being mean to me over the years. He just... apologized. Like it was his way of making amends or something. And I don't know why, but it felt like he was saying goodbye or something. Like it was his only chance of saying what he said to me. And I believed him. I truly felt he meant every single word."

A long silence went around the room, until someone asked, "So, what did Snape do next?"

Mary shook her head, coming out of her thoughts.

"He asked me not to mention him about what happened. Not to Dumbledore or even to you."

"Then why did you mention him when he asked you not to?" Alice asked.

"I think that's the last question we should be asking," another girl cut in. "Why would Snape want you to lie?"

"I don't know," Mary stared back into the fireplace. "But I did keep my promise not to mention him to Dumbledore. The only thing I couldn't keep my promise on was telling you guys. You're all my friends, and we don't keep secrets from each other."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Lily was lost in her thoughts. Her mouth hang open from the shocked expression on her face, trying to process what she was told. This was completely against Severus's character. As far as she knew, he hated Gryffindor. First he saves Alice and Rachel, now Mary. In one week, he has protected three Gryffindors from a couple of bullies from Slytherin. And since when did he apologize out of nowhere? Unless if it was her he was apologizing to, Severus Snape hated apologizing, let alone admitting his wrongs as well.

A couple of theories ran through her mind. One, he was doing all of this to win her back. Or two, he was playing a game in order to hit back at her. That maybe he was going to reveal his true colors and hurt her friends when they think he has changed. She felt anger bubbling within her as she thought about the _incident_ , as everyone was calling it, between them. He had called her by that word and now it seemed he was going to extremes to get her back. In more ways than one.

But then a third theory entered. What if he truly was changing? Despite she wanted to believe it with all of her heart and soul, she feared of being hurt again. But then again, it did explain his behavior and actions. She could feel her mind going to war over this. Anger, regret, condemnation, hope, all passed through her in an instant. It was so hard for her to decide which one to believe.

 _No, Lily,_ she thought. _Severus made his decision and he choose the Dark Arts over you._

 _But what about the past two weeks?_ she questioned herself. _Maybe he is changing._

 _He called you that 'word'. He's going to become a Death Eater and he will hurt you all over again because you couldn't see him as he truly is. Slytherin is evil! Even Dumbledore knows this!_

 _Get off your high horse, Lily! Severus apologized, twice already! He's promised he was done with the Dark Arts. Give him another chance._

 _And worry about getting hurt again? He's only doing this because he needs you in his life. You were his only friend and he pushed you away anyway. Remember what you said, Lily. 'He chosen his way and you've chosen yours.' How long until he becomes a monster and sees to it that you are dead for being a muggleborn?_

 _Severus would never do that, Lily! You know it! He still has good in him! It's Slytherin that is corrupting him!_

 _All the more reason to stay away._

The opening of the oil panting brought her out of her thoughts as she turned to see James Potter and the Marauders walking on through, arguing amongst each other.

"How can you defend him, Moony?" James demanded. "I could have taught him a lesson for what he did to Mary."

"And risk getting into trouble for attacking an unarmed student, unprovoked?" Remus countered. "That would have been going too far and you know it. And besides, you have no proof that Severus did anything to Mary."

"What's your deal anyway?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at him. "It isn't like you stood by before and turned the other way when it came to Snivellus."

Remus looked liked he was on the verge of exploding, his face turning red.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have! You've heard what he said. And I actually agree with him. The rivalry between you and him..." he pointed at James, "... has gone too far. Maybe once upon a time it was something little boys did, but we aren't kids anymore. We're almost adults now."

"Calm down, Moony," James laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's the..." he caught himself before continuing, bringing his voice to a whisper, "... _time of the month_ getting to you. That's all."

Remus shook his head and pushed James's hand off of his shoulder.

"So what if it is?! It doesn't change the fact that what Snape said is true." He turned away from them. "I'm going out!"

Remus exited the Common Room as everyone watched, even the girls, who had overheard part of the conversation. James shrugged and went up the stairs to the boys dormitory, along with Sirius and Peter.

As everyone went back to what they were doing, Mary began telling the girls that Dumbledore promised to handle the situation with Mulciber and his gang, expressing hope that next year they will lay off and leave her alone.

Lily didn't hear that part of the conversation, as her thoughts drifted to the conversation between James and the Marauders. Just what did happen between Severus and them? What happened that got Remus in a mood of defending Severus against James? Was the summer heat getting to everyone? Shaking her head, Lily picked up her stuff and headed for bed, her thoughts thinking of nothing but Severus the entire time.

* * *

James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew all dressed into their pajamas for bed, talking about what had happened with Remus and Severus.

"I'm telling ya, something is up with Snivellus. I can feel it," Sirius jumped on top of the covers of his bed.

"Right there with ya, Padfoot," James agreed. "I just hope Moony will be okay for tonight. I hate leaving him alone on the full moon."

"You know how he is," Sirius popped himself on his elbow. "He feels bad for having us go with him every time a full moon hits. And besides, this is the last one until next month."

"But still, maybe I should go to keep him company."

"Don't even think about it, Prongs. Moony is still mad at you and you've already done more than your fair share of staying out with him throughout year. I'll go."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Just go to sleep. Tomorrow is the last night as fifth years and then its back to your family's manor for tons of fun by Saturday. I could use some fresh air anyway."

"Are you sure this isn't because of that one girl you've been seeing?" Peter awkwardly asked.

James's face lit up and smiled, "Yeah, Padfoot. You've been seeing a lot of that seventh year Ravenclaw girl. What's her name again?"

"Marci," Sirius answered. "And yes, I happen to be meeting with her tonight, right before I go to meet up with Remus. She wants our final two nights at Hogwarts to be... _something special to remember._ "

"You going to shag her?" James smiled, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius laughed and replied, "Okay, yes, that is the main idea. We're going to do it in one of the broomrooms."

"Is it your first time with her?" Peter asked, his face lighting up red.

Both James and Sirius chuckled at him, they were considering on getting his appearance cleaned up next year and getting him laid. The boy sure needed the _education._

"No, we've shagged plenty of times before. She's actually my fourth. However, I know she'll break off the relationship by Saturday. Probably for the best, considering we'll be separated now. I think a part of me will miss her, but there's enough fish out there in the sea for next year. Gotta enjoy life while you still can."

"Words to live by, Padfoot. Maybe next year I'll have to get me a hot seventh year to fit right along with ya."

"Sounds like a plan. Oh, by the way, are we all set for the party tomorrow?"

"Do you have to ask? You helped plan everything with us. Just make sure that Moony is there and having a good time. The last thing he needs is to be brooding during our last night as fifth years."

"I promise that I will do everything within my power to see Moony having the time of his life. Now, get some sleep guys, I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

"Good night."

A while later, once he knew everyone was sound asleep, Sirius moved to the side of the bed, getting a pen and a piece of paper. He started writing and smiled once he was done. Folding the paper and fitting it into his pocket, he grabbed James's invisibility cloak, tiptoed down the stairs of the dormitory and out of the Gryffindor Common Room.

* * *

Severus laid in his bed, struggling to go to sleep. His mind was so excited for the next day. His _final_ day at Hogwarts and then he was done by Saturday morning. Free to leave it all behind. He had already made up his mind to sell the house and everything in it. But the real excitement for Saturday was when he would meet with Clawlock again and discuss his fortune for the next few days afterward. He only hoped that he would get his acceptance letters from Rome and Salem before the 30th. He was desperately in the mood for a new beginning.

Ever since he stood up to James Potter and actually got away with it, without any punishment or pranking, he felt a sense of victory. Maybe he had admitted defeat in the eyes of his enemies, but he was leaving on a high note. One that the Marauders could never strike back against. Thinking about it more, he finally understood the old meaning of _"revenge is a dish best served cold"_. But the important thing was that he was finally able to move on beyond it.

But his thoughts also drifted to Lily. Just thinking her name caused his stomach to twist and his heart to ach. How much he missed her, when a part of him didn't want to. But he knew that she would always be in his heart and memories. And as much as he hated to admit it, she was indeed his first love. _True love_? He didn't know. Most likely would never know _._ But he knew he had to accept the fact that a romantic relationship between the two of them wouldn't work now. Not with how things were standing between them. But he also knew he had to try to apologize to her again. To make amends with her. Even if he was destined to fail, he needed to know that he did the best he could to repair their friendship and tell her how sorry he was. Whether or not she choose to forgive him, that was her choice.

Suddenly, Severus became aware of someone right next to his bed. Grabbing his wand, he whispered _'Lumos'_ , lighting up the area around him to see who it was. As he pointed his wand directly at the intruder, he recognized the student as a fourth year boy, but couldn't remember his name.

The boy looked at him, a little frightened as he held out a folded up piece of paper.

"This came for you," he whispered.

Severus felt secure within the limits of his bed, having already put up his wards, but feared what would happened if he left his bed or allowed for the boy to enter his hand through the security of his wards. The last thing he needed was for an ambush from Mulciber and his gang, who most likely had gotten in trouble for what they did to Mary McDonald. He used his wand to motion towards the small drawer.

"Put it there," he ordered. "And leave."

The boy nodded quickly and sat the paper down, silently moving fast to his bed on the other side of the dormitory.

Once feeling okay to move out of the comfort of his bed, he reached over and grabbed the paper. Unfolding it he found it was a letter to him and began to read.

* * *

 _Severus,_

 _Meet me at the Shrieking Shack, tonight. There is a secret hidden passage through the Whomping Willow. Look for a small knot near the base of the tree, which will prevent it from moving and allow you passage,_

 _I'm sorry for how I acted and want things to go back to normal. Please come see me. I miss you,_

 _Love,_

 _Lily_

* * *

Severus couldn't believe his luck as he read the letter and then re-read it over again to make sure he wasn't imagining it. He could feel the tears building up behind his eyes as he felt his heart jump with joy. Without thinking, he immediately got out of bed and dressed into his Hogwarts robes, making his way out of the Slytherin House and down the dark hallways of Hogwarts. He managed to bypass Professors, Perfects and even the Head Boy at one point. Until he was outside the castle walls of the school, he made his way to the Whomping Willow tree.

It took a little while, but he managed to find the small knot that the letter was talking about and used a spell to hit it, immobilizing the tree. Studying around the trunk, he found the secret passage and entered, his body shaking as he walked down the dark tunnel. He was in full excitement mode, not even using his senses at the moment.

As he traveled deeper into the tunnels beneath the Whomping Willow, he finally came to the end and saw a metal door. Stepping forward, he unlocked the door and opened it.

Looking into the dark room, he could hear the dripping of water and the silent wind in the darkness. It was then that his excitement started to disappear, slowly. Something felt off and he knew that Lily wouldn't come down here if it was as dark and creepy as this. Walking into the dark room, he whispered _'Lumos'_ to light up the tip of his wand and found a staircase, leading up to the surface. Reluctantly climbing the steps, he finally came to the top and opened the door, revealing to him a large room of an unknown house. He could hear the air outside the boarded up windows. He could see large scratches on the walls.

"Lily?" he called out.

Frowning, he took out the letter and read it again. Only this time did he realize his biggest mistake. He wanted to punch himself in the face for not noticing it. The handwriting of the words weren't Lily's. They belonged to someone else, and he was so excited and happy to not have noticed it.

 _YOU STUPID, FUCKING IDIOT!_ he screamed at himself.

Then he heard it. A loud growl coming from the dark corner of the room. It made him freeze right where he was, the hair on his arms and legs standing up. His heart and mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. He could smell the terrible breath of the creature.

Slightly turning his head, he saw a figure in the darkness of the corner. It's glowing eyes staring back at him, wild and hungry eyes. It growled again and stepped forward, exposing itself in the light of his wand.

The werewolf roared and leaped forward. Right for him.

* * *

 **Haha! I just had to leave it on a cliffie! I figured we were a little overdue for one. ;)**

 **Now you guys know why I'm bumping this story up to a M-rating. There is going to be some cuss words, but not all over the place as you may think. Also, there possibly might be some sexual material in later chapters. But that won't happen for quite a while. I'll let you know when we finally get to it.**

 **So, yeah, the whole "** ** _Shrieking Shack incident"_ that is talked about in the Harry Potter books, I decided to create a similar version of it in this story. I know it happens in Severus's sixth year, but I felt like it was needed for this story (you'll see why in the next chapter), so I decided to make it happen ahead of schedule. Think of it as Sirius's way of hitting back at Sev for what happened earlier. Where in the original timeline, Sirius does it as a prank. **

**I know a lot of you are wanting to know if Severus will see the memories that his mother has left him and what secrets they will reveal. Well, I can promise that it might happen within the next two chapters. I can't say when, because I'm still currently planning these chapters. All I can promise is that all will be explained. Just enjoy the story for right now.**

 **Another thing, I know that there are those of you who wanted to have Severus showing off his new appearance at Hogwarts. However, I thought it would have been best to have him keep everything he is doing a secret. I don't know why, I just felt like it was better this way. But no worries, Severus will be able to shine at his new school.**

 **Message to "guest": 'Happy you are enjoying the story. Sorry for the long wait for the next chapter. It takes a while to write and edit these. Even then I go back and make corrections on what I've missed. But, anyway, all your questions will be answered. Just stay with it.' ;)**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": 'I'm glad that my last chapter made your day. And don't worry, Severus Snape is definitely leaving Hogwarts for good (spoilers! ;)) and is going to finally going to have the life that he should have had. We'll get to that. I promise.' :)**

 **Anyway, that's enough for now. Thank you to "guest" and "PiffyEQ" for the reviews you two have left. It means a lot. I'll see you guys in chapter nine! ;)**


	9. Sometimes Goodbye Is A Second Chance

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Hey guys! So, so, so, so sorry for the very late update! I needed a break from writing for a while. But I'm back now.**

 **Oh, I need you guys to answer me one question: "Did the Shrieking Shack incident happen before or after the Mudblood incident?" Because a fellow reviewer, "Good Idea", says it happens before. I'm only asking because I'm very confused right now. I was under the impression that it happened in Sev's sixth year. But I could definitely be wrong. Please let me know.**

 **And I should mention that I've made a change in the last chapter. Its minor, but noticeable. I decided to add an extra night to Severus's stay at Hogwarts. Instead of leaving the next day, everyone goes home the morning of Saturday, rather than Friday. I remembered that I wanted to show the party life of James and the Marauders, considering that is what they would do on their last night of school. And no worries, I made sure that this change doesn't prevent Severus from making it to his meeting with Clawlock, in order to discuss his finances. ;)**

 **To let you all know, this will be the last time we will ever see Severus as a Hogwarts student. I put a lot of thought into this and I figured it was the best direction for the story. And I can tell that a lot of you can agree with me. Now, this doesn't mean that Severus won't ever come back. I have a lot of the story figured out and I have an idea that there will come a point in time when he will return, but under different circumstances.**

 **I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed my last chapter. It really does mean a lot to me. :)**

 **Also, this chapter was inspired by two songs that I really like, "Over You" (By: Daughtry) and "Sometimes Goodbye Is A Second Chance" (By: Shinedown). Seriously, listen to these two songs on youtube and you'll see how much they really influence this chapter.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy chapter nine! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine:**

 **Sometimes Goodbye Is A Second Chance**

* * *

Everything was in slow-motion for Severus, once he saw the werewolf in the dark corner of the room. It snarled, drool dripping from its mouth. It's eyes looking directly at him with desire. Its body was huge, much bigger than a normal size person. From the shadows, it had the shape of a human being, but the mouth, nose, head, legs and arms were that of a wolf, with its whole body covered in fur.

Severus read about werewolves and studied them, fascinated by their ability to withstand several magic spells, with the exception of two of the _Unforgivables_ and other stronger spells. He never saw one in person before, until now. His heart raced and his concentration was on the verge of being lost to him. But he willed himself to not panic and focused in on the creature before him. He stared deep into its eyes.

It was then that Severus figured out that the beast was Remus Lupin. His theory was right about him all along. The disappearances during the full moon of every month. The hidden scars. The excuses of why he looked so sick. Despite that he knew the truth long before, this was the full official confirmation of Lupin's dark secret before him.

And it was hungry for his flesh.

The werewolf leaped for him, its claws and jaws opening wide for attack. Gasping, Severus threw himself to the side, just barely managing to miss the beast by mere inches. He could feel the sharp claws swinging past his robes, almost cutting them. As he slid across the wooden floor, he heard a crash from behind him, realizing that the miss bought him just a few seconds to get away. Wasting no time, he pushed himself off the ground and made a run for the door, his full focus on getting out alive.

Once reaching the wooden door, Severus grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut behind him, rushing down the stairs. He didn't even bother locking it, knowing he had very little time, and that the door itself wouldn't contain his attacker. His only use for it was to slow the monster down.

Before he even made it halfway down the stairs, he suddenly heard a loud crash from behind him. He recognized the sound of wood shattering, along with a loud roar that sent shivers through his whole body.

He felt the weight of the beast against his back, sending him flying the rest of the way down the stairs. The werewolf flew over him at high speed, having not been aware of the stairs that laid beyond the doorway, as it made a large crack on the ground below and was sent right towards the wall. A loud bang could be heard from where it hit, whimpering in pain.

Severus made contact with the hard, cold floor of the basement, rolling to a complete stop. He could feel all sorts of pain rushing through his entire body. Although unable to tell if anything was broken at the moment, he forced those feelings to the back of his mind and looked back up the stairs, seeing that the entire door had been shattered by the beast.

Immediately on alert again, he searched his surroundings and saw the figure of the werewolf in the darkness, having hit the wall on its way down the stairs. It looked disorientated from the crash, unaware of his presence at the moment. But he knew its sense would return within seconds.

Despite the pain, Severus forced himself up and searched for the large metal door, knowing it was the only thing that could keep the beast from coming after him. Once he found it, he put immediately began running, putting all of his energy into his legs. His hand reached out for the steel handle as he heard the beast roar once again and started running for him. He could hear the sharp claws hitting the hard floor, intended for his very flesh. He could feel and hear the heavy breathing from its mouth, which its jaws would feast on his flesh.

Never before in Severus's life had he felt so much fear. Not since he was a little boy.

His father's rage used to affect him in ways like this. But time had made him immune to fear. Even before he started using _Occlumency_ to block his emotions, he had used to ignore the yelling and the hitting his father would do to him and his mother. But now that fear had returned. And it was back with a vengeance.

Feeling the terrible breath of the werewolf on his shoulders and neck, Severus threw his body through the entrance and grabbed ahold of the steel handle of the metal door, slamming it shut as he exited the dark room. He felt the force of the werewolf hitting the steel, its claws scratching on the other side. A loud series of howling echoed through the tunnel, increasing Severus's adrenaline as he turned the handle and sealed the entrance.

Not wanting to chance anything, he ran down the tunnel, not daring to look back as he heard the howling from behind him. It echoed in his ears, even after it was long gone. All he could think of was how close he had came to being killed and eaten by a bloody werewolf.

After reaching the surface from the hidden passage of the Whomping Willow tree, he fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he supported himself with his hands. All he could do was stare at the ground, a thousand different thoughts and feelings rushing through him. Sweat slowly ran from his forehead and dropped to the grass beneath him. It took a while before he finally got his breathing under control and allowed for the effects of what had just happened wash over him.

Who had written the letter, if not Lily? And who would have known Reus would have been at the Shrieking Shack?

Then his eyes widened as the revelation hit him. His expression changed from shock to anger. His eyes narrowed. His body beginning to shake with anger.

There was only one small group of people who would have known about Lupin being a werewolf. One group of people who would have known he would have fallen for the prank without thinking, as long as Lily was the core reason.

 _The fucking Marauders!_

Like noise down a long tunnel, he heard a small sound barely reaching his ears. It got louder with each passing minute, finally getting to the point that he recognized it as laughter. And when his senses fully came back, he could pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. And _who_ it belonged to.

Blood boiling under his skin, with a red mist clouding his vision, Severus looked up from the ground and saw Sirius Black just a few feet away. Laughing at the sight of him.

Lost in his anger, Severus sprinted forward and grabbed Sirius by the collar of his shirt. He lifted him off the ground, with full adrenaline and anger as his support.

"WHAT HE HELL DID YOU JUST DO, BLACK?!"

Severus's yelling echoed through the night around them, with the full moon shining bright in the sky.

Sirius's laughing slowed as he looked Severus in the eyes and smirked.

"Oh, sod off, Snivellus. It was just a prank. I knew a smart man like you would have made it out alive. And besides, you didn't get scratched from the looks like."

The red mist grew, covering his vision even more. He tightened his grip on him, nearly growling with fury.

"A PRANK?!" Sev's control was completely gone by that point, leaving him at the mercy of his own emotions. "Is that what you call this?! A fucking prank?! Did you really think this through Black?! What do you think would have happened if I died?! Or if I was scratched?!"

Sirius chuckled again, like it was a joke to him.

The very sound angered Severus even more. To the point he formed a fist with one hand and brought it back, while the other continued to hold Black off the ground.

"What does it matter, Snivellus? It isn't like anyone would miss you if you died? Although, maybe your mother will. Just the sight of you makes me feel bad for her. Death for either one of you would be a blessing to her."

Without warning, Severus punched Sirius, hearing the sound of his fist make contact with the side of his cheek.

It immediately put a stop to Sirius's laughing as he was thrown backwards to the ground. When he tried to lean up, he felt another punch to his face, forcing him back down, with blood dripping from his mouth.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Severus screamed, his hands moving against his hair in frustration. "Why can't you just leave me alone?! Why is it that I'm always the one who suffers because of your bullying?! You and Potter could have chosen anyone from Slytherin who truly deserves it more than I do. Mulciber, Avery, your own brother for crying out loud! Why do I have to be the center of all of your pranks?!"

Sirius coughed and smiled, leaning up on one elbow.

"Because you just are. You're a _Slytherin!_ You were destined to become a Death Eater the moment you got Sorted into that House. Everyone knows that all Slytherins are evil. You judge people by their blood status and declare death to those who are Muggleborn or Blood-Traitors."

Severus started to laugh in disbelief. Finding the irony to be both funny and yet, shocking.

"Looks who's talking! Do you even realize that there are those of us who don't want to join the Dark Lord? Or that there are those of us who don't care about the Pureblood society? No, course not! Because you just judge people without getting to know them! You look down on others who are not Gryffinor or as popular as you!" He shook his head as bent down next to Sirius, still seeing the red mist. "Tell me, Black. Did you ever once take into consideration of what would have happened to Lupin if I were killed or _turned_ by him? Hmm?! His secret would have been exposed, not to mention sent to Azkaban. Or worse!"

"Dumbledore would have handled it if it came to that." Sirius countered, wiping the blood from his mouth and cheek.

Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he knew, deep down that he should have known that would have been the likeliest outcome.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" He backed a couple feet away, looking towards the sky and back to Sirius again. "No wait, I actually can believe it! Of course Dumbledore would have covered for you and your friends, despite whether or not it involved murder. But you still don't get what I mean, do you? I wasn't just talking about how the rest of the Wizarding World would have reacted. I was also talking about Lupin. I may not know him well, but I do know that he has a soft side and has a strong conscience." He shook his head, scoffing. "The whole time you wrote that letter and sent me to my potential death, you never once thought about what this would have done to Lupin. He would have held himself responsible if I were to die, or got turned. In fact, he probably would have hated himself for it."

For a moment, Sirius blinked and looked towards the ground of where he sat, letting the words sink in.

Bending down, Severus glared at the head of the Marauder, sneering as he realized he managed to get through to him.

"Let me tell you something, Black. If your plan had worked, and I was killed, I can guarantee that you would have been brought down to my level. And I don't say this lightly... _but its very lonely down here_."

Sirius felt a shiver run down his spine as reality hit him at full speed. While his senses were still working their way back to normal, he listened to everything that the Slytherin had to say and surprised himself when he took them into consideration. But then he felt his confidence returning and started to chuckle, leading to laughter as he fell back against the ground.

Severus was taken back by the Marauder's behavior, although he expected it from him.

"There is no way I could be brought down to your kind of low, Snivellus," Sirius got up, dusting the grass and dirt off of him. "So what if it had happened? Everyone knows that a dead Slytherin is better than a live one. If you were killed, I'm sure Remus wouldn't have cared. In fact, the whole school would have seen it as one less potential Death Eater."

Anger rose again within Severus. His fists forming. However, he took control and channeled his anger through him. Letting it flow like a peaceful river, until he was in the right mindset to respond.

"Justify it anyway, you like, Black. It doesn't change the fact that what you did was pretty much close to murder. Or _conspiracy to murder_ , as the Muggles call it."

"Ah, stop complaining! Learn to take a joke!"

"Gentlemen!" came a voice of authority, making the two young wizards turn to the source of the its owner.

Standing a little ways from them was Professor Dumbledore. He looked at both of them with an indifferent expression, clearly having heard enough of what was said between the two.

"I believe it is best we take this matter to my office," he motioned towards the castle. "After you."

Although reluctant, Severus obeyed and followed behind Sirius, who had immediately started walking back to the castle of Hogwarts. Once arriving in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore closed the door and turned to both men, walking past them to his desk and sat down. He then ordered them to sit in the seats in front of the desk, while also offering a lemon drop.

Both of them declined.

As Severus studied the bowl of lemon drops on the desk, he started to wonder if the rumors of the Headmaster putting _Veritaserum_ in them were true.

"Now, gentlemen," he folded his hands on top of the desk. "Last time I checked, it is against the rules for students to be out of their dorms during curfew, unless they are Perfects or Heads. So, who wants to explain to me what exactly happened this evening?"

Severus didn't object as Sirius went first. He wanted to hear the bullshit story that the Gryffindor would try to spin in order to save his ass from getting into trouble. He almost chuckled as Sirius explained that he was out of his dormitory because he was suspicious of Snape and found him by the Whomping Willow. Without even having to say it out loud, Severus could easily see so many problems with his story. He couldn't help but silently sneer all the way through the tale.

When the Headmaster turned to him, Severus explained that he had gotten a mysterious letter from Lily Evans and that it asked for him to go to the Shrieking Shack.

Hearing this made the Headmaster's expression turn to worry.

Continuing with his story, he explained his encounter with the werewolf, but kept out that he knew it was Remus, not wanting to put himself in a bad position with the old Professor.

"I know it was Sirius Black who wrote the letter, sir."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you have the letter with you, Mr. Snape?"

Reaching into his pockets, Severus's eyes widened as he realized that he had dropped it back at the Shrieking Shack in the midst of the chaos he was in.

"I'm afraid I lost it back at the Shrieking Shack," he shook his head in disappointment.

Sirius smiled.

"In that case, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about it. Even if you had evidence that Sirius wrote the letter, I would still be unable to do anything without exposing Mr. Lupin."

Severus scoffed and replied, "Of course! Its what you do best whenever your precious Marauders are involved or in trouble. Always getting them off the hook, justifying their _harmless-boy-pranks_ and _child-like-behaviors_."

"I don't appreciate your tone or choice of words, Mr. Snape. The only reason I'm willing to overlook it is because of... _recent events_."

Sirius looked between the two, confused by what the Headmaster meant.

Severus wanted to punch the old man for mentioning the deaths of his parents in front of Sirius, especially since he had promised to keep it a secret. He didn't want anyone to know about that.

Before he could say anything, Dumbledore continued.

"Now, because you are fully aware of Mr. Lupin's secret, I'm going to have to demand you not to reveal this information to anyone else. Not to your classmates or Housemates. Not even off school grounds. If you do, I will have you expelled from Hogwarts and have your wand snapped. Is that clear?"

"Honestly, Professor, I don't care," Severus shook his head, disgusted. "Even if I had all the evidence in the world to prove what Black did, you would still ignore it. But I can promise you that you can rest easy, Headmaster. I won't reveal Lupin's secret to anyone. It doesn't concern me anyway. And besides, none of this will matter once Saturday comes."

 _Watch it, Snape!_

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, suspicious of the young Slytherin's choice of words. But he pushed those suspicions aside to focus on the problem at hand. He rubbed his beard as he leaned forward in his chair.

"I'll take that as your cooperation, Mr. Snape." He continued to study him. "Seeing as this _issue_ is only between the three of us, and also Mr. Lupin, I think it is best that we keep it that way. I won't give any punishments to either of you. I believe that what you saw in the Shrieking Shack is punishment enough for you, Mr. Snape. But consider yourselves lucky. It is only because of Mr. Lupin's secret that you are... as the Muggles say... _Scott-free._ " He stood up from his seat. "You're free to go. And enjoy the final day of school tomorrow, once O.W.L.s are done that is. I hear all the Houses are throwing parties." He smiled.

Both Severus and Sirius nodded, exiting the office as they went their separate ways.

While on the way back to his dormitory, Severus made fists with his hands again, angry with how the evening events unfolded. He knew he should have seen all of this coming from a mile away. He should have known that Lily wouldn't have forgiven him that easily. Let alone actually want to see him. He hated himself for not seeing that the handwriting wasn't hers. But what was worse was that Sirius Black had gotten away with trying to have him murdered by a werewolf. Deep down he was hoping that this would have been the moment Black's luck ran out. He wanted to see that smirk and confidence disappear in a blink of an eye. To see him dragged off to Azkaban and to have the final laugh. But he knew that Dumbledore would have prevented it from happening.

His thoughts drifted to Dumbledore and his anger doubled. All his life he once thought of the old Headmaster as someone to look up to. He believed him to be a man who didn't take sides and would always do what was right. No matter what. But the moment he came to Hogwarts, those beliefs were immediately crushed. Instead of a man who had an understanding of all sides, he found a man who had a blinding love for the Marauders and all of Gryffindor. In his eyes, no Marauder or Gryffindor could harm a fly. Maybe put people into the hospital wing, tease, bully, and even have the tendency to try and commit murder. But never harm a fly.

While Severus didn't blame anyone for holding a grudge or resentment towards Slytherin, he was fully aware of the victims who had to suffer the consequences of those who gave Slytherin a bad name. Truth be told, there were purebloods, even half-bloods, who didn't believe in the Pure-Blood Society or the Death Eaters. In fact, he was aware of a certain few who didn't have a single drop of pureblood within 'em. He was certainly aware that no Muggleborns were in Slytherin. One of the theories as to why that is, was that Dumbledore had put a spell on the Sorting Hat to Sort any Muggleborn to another House, if they had potential of being a Slytherin. Thinking about it more and more, Severus pretty much believed in that theory all the way through. But it only showed how much Dumbledore judged Slytherins by their name, not their actions. When it came to Avery, Mulciber and even himself, he could understand the judgement and hatred. But when it came to others, the ones who only wanted to study and live in peace, only to receive nasty remarks and pranks... they were the real victims in all of this. And it made Severus's blood boil at the thought.

What a beautiful lie it all was!

In his own personal hell at Spinner's End, he was told of a safe haven in the form of Hogwarts. The moment his mother told him all about the castle and the wonderful world of magic, he had a sense of renewed hope within him. And the day he had met Lily Evans, he became even more hopeful for the future. He remembered the day he went to Diagon's Alley and the day he boarded the Hogwarts Express, how they all continued to add to his hope. While he didn't realize it then, he had built himself up only to be torn down by the very same hope he had believed in so much.

He could remember the day he came to the legendary school of Hogwarts and the moment he was Sorted into Slytherin. While it didn't fully hit him at first, it worked its way slowly as he waited for all the things he had been told about to happen. But it was a dream that would never come true. As year after year passed, he became bitter and angry, bullied around for being a Slytherin and for having a fascination with the Dark Arts. He found comfort in the form of Avery and Mulciber. While he questioned everything about them, it was the only option opened to him. Lily had her own friends. Not to mention that they had been drifting apart from each other since the beginning of fourth year.

To his immediate disappointment, he also found that the staff of Hogwarts only ever paid attention to him or any Slytherin was when they had no choice. Even when he was being bullied, they did nothing and just turned the other way. Even the Perfects and Heads did the same as well.

Severus knew that all of these were parts of the main reason he was led down such a dark path. The abusiveness of his father. The bullying and teasing of the Marauders. The oblivious awareness of his existence from his teachers. Even his own mother, who did nothing to prevent what his father did to him. All of them were representations of everything the purebloods and the Death Eaters were against. In his own eyes, he only went with the side that showed the most interest in him. He wanted to feel wanted, and that was what the Darkness offered that the Light never did. He resented how everyone criticized him for being part of Mulciber and Avery's group, when all he ever wanted was to be treated like an equal and have friends.

But now, looking back, he realized that what he was looking for was never given to him by the Darkness or Slytherin. He fully realized that neither the Light nor the Dark welcomed him in the way he wanted. The Light would reject him and the Dark would only use him. Two different sides that told beautiful lies to control him.

It amazed Severus about how the Light and the Darkness were so similar, despite being so different. They were both judgmental and had their own agendas. Just like Dumbledore and Voldemort. One was the side of Light, the other for the side of Darkness. Voldemort held a great hatred of none-purebloods and Muggleborns, especially Muggles in general. He would kill every last one of the to build his messed up version of a perfect world. But then there was Dumbledore, a man who was known for keeping the peace and bringing people to the Light. Except when it came to Slytherin. In his eyes, he saw students who were already too far gone and were destined to become Death Eaters. He would condemn them the moment they were Sorted into Slytherin. In his eyes, he only saw a world of black and white. Gryffindor and Slytherin.

The very realization multiplied his anger.

The mirrors that had blinded and influenced him had finally shattered before this very realization, allowing for him to see everything as it truly was. He hated himself for not seeing it sooner.

Hogwarts wasn't the place he was raised to believe. It was a place that recruited students for both the Light and the Dark, without ever taking into consideration that everyone was just human. It wasn't a place of dreams, it was a Sorting Palace!

Just what gave Dumbledore the right to condemn an entire House without getting to know the people first?

Unable to go in, Severus walked away from entrance of the Common Room, finding an abandoned classroom on one of the mid-floors. He wasn't ready to return to his dormitory just yet. In fact, he felt he never again could go back there. He feared retaliation from one of his roommates, who most likely had already did something to his bed and was waiting for his return.

As he sat in the dark corner of the dusty classroom, he stared into the darkness, with the moonlight shining through the windows.

It was then that he was fully convinced, more than ever, that he needed to leave Hogwarts. He couldn't stay in this cursed castle any longer. It was manipulating him into becoming something he didn't want to be. And even if he wasn't a Slytherin, he still would have been manipulated into becoming a judgmental person like the others. It didn't matter which side of the coin he was, or could have been, on. Free-will was never really real in a place like this. It was controlled by forces that hidden themselves very well.

He didn't get any sleep through the rest of the night. His mind was so worked up that he couldn't put it at ease. By the time morning arrived and curfew was lifted, he made his way to the Slytherin Common Room and packed his stuff, fully intending on spending the night again in that same classroom. Just being in the dormitory made him even more angrier. He just couldn't take it anymore. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Dumbledore, everything. He needed to start getting away from it all as fast as he could, even if it meant breaking the rules.

He was met with death-threatening glares from Slytherins, doing his best to ignore them. But he could feel their glares at the back of his head, like they were drilling into his skull.

He dropped his stuff off at the abandoned classroom and put a few wards over them, satisfied that no one would be able see them if they peeked through the door. He then went to the Great Hall and had some breakfast, studying for his final O.W.L.s as he did.

Just before heading to his next O.W.L.s test, he was approached by one of the Hogwarts Owling Post staff.

"Mr. Severus Tobias Snape?" the man asked.

"Yes," he turned towards him.

The man sat a large envelope right next to him on the Slytherin table.

"This came for you a few days ago," he explained and left, delivering mail to others around the Great Hall.

Severus studied the envelope for a second before picking it up. He almost read the name of who it was from until he remembered his plan to get to his next O.W.L. test as early as possible. He instead put the envelope into his bag and made his way to the classroom he needed to be at.

The whole morning and part of the afternoon went by fast. He finished all of his O.W.L.s with complete confidence. By the time he was all done, he dropped the rest of his stuff back at the abandoned classroom and went outside, sitting by the lake with the beautiful sun above him. He watched as students went swimming, talking, playing games on their broomsticks, and among other things.

It was the first time in ever that he realized that this was what Hogwarts was supposed to be. People interacting and just enjoying life, not judging or hurting others to themselves feel better. To experience the comfort of friends and knowing that tomorrow was full of possibilities, while also enjoying the moment right in front of them. He could see it, the happiness. It was what he wanted all along. He was just too scared and blinded to actually go after it. And he hated himself for it, for not seeing the error of his ways earlier. If he had then he wouldn't had wasted five years of his life.

But at least he knew better now.

Now he had more possibilities open for him than when he first came to Hogwarts. He had a chance at a new life, to live without worry, to finally be happy and make new friends. Although, technically, it would be first ever _real_ friends. And maybe, just maybe, find new love.

He laughed out loud, not caring if anyone could hear him. The very thought of someone loving him felt way too silly and unreal. Making friends would probably be a difficulty he would have to face, but at least it felt possible to him. For someone to actually love him? That made him laugh at the idea. No matter how much he wished it was possible. Especially when it came to...

Suddenly, something caught his eye and turned to find a redhead girl laughing over on the other side of the lake with her friends.

 _Lily!_

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. The way how her hair swayed as she moved. The texture of her skin, radiating from the sun. To him, she was too beautiful to be true. He felt his heart sinking in his chest. How much he wish she felt the same way for him. But he knew it wasn't possible. Once upon a time, she saw him as friend. Now? She hated him. And it hurt so much. A part of him knew he brought it upon himself, but there was another part of him that felt slightly different. He often pushed that side down, not wanting to put the blame on others.

As he studied Lily, he became aware of her looking off into another direction from her friends. Narrowing his eyes as he turned to see what she was looking at, he instantly realized that she had been staring at James Potter, who was swimming with Sirius and Peter.

He noticed that Remus was sitting on the sand, looking quite sad and regretful. He figured that he must have been told about what happened last night.

As he turned his attention back to Lily, he noticed something that sent a chill down his spine. She was... _smiling._ Smiling directly at James. He could tell that she was studying his body. Most likely getting a good look at his abs and wet face. The moment James started laughing, she smiled even bigger and giggled, getting the attention of her friends, who shook their heads and smiled, going back to their conversation.

The very moment he saw that, he thought his heart had completed shattered into a million pieces, unable to be put back together. Everything slowed down around him as he felt the tears building behind his eyes. Reality was once again delivering another blow to him. One last insult before he left Hogwarts forever. It dawned on him very slowly as he came to a realization. No, a series of realizations at once. It was like being kicked by multiple people. Except the wounds of those kicks would always remain, no matter how much they healed.

Lily Evans fancies, maybe even loves, James fucking Potter!

It suddenly became so obvious to him now. The moment Potter had started hitting on her, the nasty comebacks and the rejection, how much she talked about hating him. It was all to cover her affection for him.

He instantly remembered back, two weeks ago, when Potter and his gang publicly humiliated him. The moment he saw Lily smile, while being suspended upside down by his own spell. He wondered who she was smiling at, confused by her reaction. But now he fully realized that she was smiling at Potter. She was enjoying Potter's laughter while he was bullying... _him_.

His eyes widened.

He felt a mix of sadness and anger within him. But it wasn't aimed directly at Potter, it was for Lily. He felt scared by it, not wanting to be angry with her. She had done so much for him, been there for him. She was perfect in his eyes.

The voice that he had spent so many years trying to contain finally broke free from his subconscious, speaking to him.

 _Lily Evans was never perfect, you idiot! The entire time you've been building this image of her being flawless. Look around you! Has she ever really tried to save you from the Dark Arts or Mulciber and his gang? No! All she did was criticize and explain how she is always right! She never understood you or what you've been through! If she did, then she would have approached the situation very differently! She says that Slytherin is evil, but we know that isn't entirely true. It's the Death Eater who are evil. She condemns an entire House because she only sees what is on the outside. The only reason she never believed you to be evil was because she grew up with you. She knew you. But she doesn't know everyone in Slytherin. She judges before she knows anyone. Just like Dumbledore._

The final mirror that he had preserved broke before him. The beautiful, perfect image of Lily Evans fell apart and he instantly saw the flaws that he had been so blinded to. He remembered the nightmare he had of Lucius and began to realize just how true the dream was. Lily never understood him, not even since the day she met him. They were both raised in different worlds.

He remembered the time when they were nine, he talked about his parents and how much he hated it at home. While he didn't say it, he hinted at his father being abusive and how much he couldn't wait to leave for Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Lily never once showed any concern, instead asking more about Dementors.

A second memory flashed before him. It was during their fourth year at Hogwarts. Lily approached him about studying with a Slytherin of the same year as them, expressing worry of his choices in friends within Slytherin. Looking back now, he felt anger as he remembered her talking negatively about the young Slytherin boy, who had nothing to do with Mulciber or the Death Eaters. _"Sev, he's Slytherin. I don't want to lose you to them. One day they will come of age and join You-Know-Who."_

A third memory, Severus and Lily argue about the Marauders. _"I'm just trying to show you that they're not as wonderful as you think they are. How many times have their pranking ended up with me and others in hospital wing? A fellow Slytherin broke his arm because of them." Fifth year Lily looks away, her voice dropping as she said, "But at least they don't use Dart Magic, though."_

And a final memory of the last time he ever shared a normal conversation with her. They were in the library, doing homework as the fall term was coming to an end with Christmas holidays just around the corner. He listened to Lily as she expressed her concern about the growing threat of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and how Slytherin had become a recruitment camp for the Death Eaters, believing that all who are Sorted into that House are doomed to go bad. He remembered feeling angry and confused about that. While he didn't have that many friends in Slytherin, other than Mulciber and Avery at the time, he knew some students who were in no way like the other Slytherins. But that was back when he was looking to gain respect and power through the Dark Arts and also the Dark Lord, believing that both were his best way of getting those things. Now he was on a different course and was most definitely no longer involved with any of those things.

Coming back to reality, he watched as James Potter took notice of Lily's attention towards him and smirked, swimming over to her. The moment she realized she had been made, she turned away and pretended she hadn't seen him. Severus sneered as he watched Potter attempt and fail, miserably, to talk to her once he had gotten to dry land. He laughed the moment James was hit by a spell Lily sent his way, sending him into the air and into the deep end of the lake.

He kept his full attention on Lily and felt the emotions within him going to war. He was angry with her, and yet he loved her all at the same time. But there was no denying the anger he felt for himself as well. He was supposed to be able to see these kinds of things. But he had blinded himself to the real truth. He had built a false idol of her. Believing she could do no harm to anyone or him, that she was truly perfect. But now he saw the flaws within her. She was caring and compassionate, but had no understanding of others, unless if they were like her. While she knows the life of caring parents and the environment of good friends, she doesn't know about the reality of the complete opposite. He grew up with bad parents and in an environment of bad friends. She fails to understand that other people's environment influences them as much as hers does to her too. To her, it was all black and white.

 _Sounds very familiar._

But the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that he was in the same boat as well. He didn't understand others, or even how to communicate with them. He only understood people like Mulciber and other Slytherins because of the harsh life they all shared. While their parents weren't as bad as his, he knew they were pretty harsh towards them when growing up. He was flawed just as much as Lily was, although maybe a little more flawed than her.

The hours passed as he sat there, staring out towards the lake and the forest beyond. He would once and a while look over at Lily, but due to the mixed emotions he was feeling, he couldn't keep his eyes on her and would drift away.

Losing himself in his thoughts, he didn't even notice as the sun got lower, with almost everyone heading back in to prepare for the final feast of the school year in the Great Hall.

Aware of his surroundings, he sensed that someone was walking towards him from behind. Reaching for his wand, he prepared himself for a fight if it came to it. His hand gripped the handle as he heard the footsteps getting closer. He looked to his side and saw the shadow of a person. Noticing this person had no wand in his or her hand, he made no move, but kept vigilant.

To his immediate surprise, the person sat down right next to him, crossing their legs. Feeling the person's gaze on him, he turned and met the eyes of Angelina Ivory, the same girl who brought him to the hospital wing after his _incident_ with Mulciber, Avery and the other Slytherins. He let go of the handle of his wand and relaxed, but still keeping himself on alert.

"Um, hi," he spoke first.

"Hello, Severus," Ivory replied, smiling a little at him. "I hope you don't mind if I join you."

Severus shrugged. "Help yourself."

Nodding, she looked out towards the lake.

After a while of awkward silence, Severus sighed, a little annoyed, and said, "Okay, you're here for a reason. I'm guessing you have something to ask me."

Ivory flinched at his tone, but understood that he wasn't good when it came to conversations with others.

"Is that how you treat people when they help you?" she fought back, looking into his eyes.

Sighing to himself, he closed his eyes and said, "Alright, thank you for bringing me to the hospital wing last week. It's more than I deserve." He paused. "But, still, thanks."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Actually, the real reason I'm here is that I was hoping to understand you."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "How so?"

"I mean, why have you turned against Mulciber and his gang now? Why did you turn against the Death Eaters and the man they serve?"

He thought about the question for a few seconds. "I wasn't happy with how things were turning out. Judging others by their blood status, killing innocents, falling under the influence of evil magic. It all just wasn't my thing."

"But it could ruin your life for doing so. I've heard rumors of what happens to those who refuse the Death Eaters. Including _him._ "

"We all have to die someday, Ivory. Its just a matter of how and who we are by the end. We shouldn't fear death. Nor living. I'm done letting others influence my life."

While he didn't see it, Angelina had a look of admiration in her eyes. She couldn't fathom how he could go from wanting to be a Death Eater and suddenly turn against them, not once fearing for his life. If only she had as much courage as he did.

"How do you do it?" she asked him.

"How do I do what?"

"Not be afraid."

"Who said I wasn't?" he raised an eyebrow.

Angelina failed to respond, only shrugging.

"In order for there to be courage and brave, there must also be fear. Its what we do through fear that counts. Anyone can be scared. Even me."

He studied her eyes.

"Tell me, what do you think about... _all of this_?"

Angelina shook her head, confused. "What?"

"I mean, what do you think about the whole pureblood and Death Eater beliefs?"

Angelina turned away, blinking as the question sank in. She held herself by her shoulders and replied, "Honestly, I don't think purebloods should rule over everything. All I hear is how much pureblood is everything, but yet I don't see how blood can help. It's just blood in the end. The way how my parents talk about Muggleborns and Muggles scare me. They also talk about how I'm nearing _of age._ They talk of marrying me off to a pureblood family. But I don't want to. I want to break away and have control over my own life. I don't want to follow their stupid traditions. But I'm afraid to do anything about it."

"Afraid they would cut you off?" he asked. In his mind he couldn't help but think about his mother.

She shook her head. "No, it isn't that. I wouldn't mind working for a living, considering I already do. I help out at a local restaurant down in Diagon Alley during the summer, as a way of escaping my parents. But I love working there. What I fear is being alone." She paused, tears appearing in her eyes. "If I leave my parents, I will also lose my friends. They don't know I don't share the beliefs that they do. Whenever I'm with them, I try to steer the conversation towards shopping and boys. But I know if I do what you just did, I'll lose them forever." The tears slid down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do."

Severus felt sympathy for her, understanding completely of what it was like to lose a friend you've known for years.

"Go for it."

She looked at him with big eyes, shocked.

"What?!"

"I said, _go for it_."

"But... but... my friends... my family..."

"If they leave you for doing what you believe is right and can't respect that, then they were never your friends to begin with. A true friend understands where you're coming from and stands with you, even if they don't agree. If your family disowns you, then that's their loss. Both your friends and your family will be choosing never to be there for your wedding day or to meet your children when they come into this world. They would be choosing to no longer be part of your life. That alone should tell you what kind of people they really are. Life is too short to live by the influence of others. Trust me, in the long run, you'll either be looking back with regret of your choices or with satisfaction. And I highly believe that you want it to be the second one."

The words sunk in as she stared at him, awestruck. She couldn't believe that this was the same Severus Snape in front of her. Since when did he get all wise?

"Do you really think so?" she sniffled.

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "Now that you've asked your question, I have one for you. Why did you help me? If Mulciber or anyone in his group found out, they would have made an example of you."

"They sort of did," she replied. "They cornered me when they found out and left me body-binded on the floor, warning that if I ever helped you again, they would do to me what they had done to you." She flinched at the memory. "To answer your question, I helped you because you were in need of help. I wasn't going to have your wounded body haunting my mind and feeling guilty for not helping you when I should have."

Severus nodded, satisfied with her answer.

A few moments of silence followed, only to be broken by Angelina, who stood up.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Severus didn't look at her, keeping his sight on the sun as it continued to set in the distance, enjoying how beautiful it was.

"For your words of encouragement," she smiled, her eyes full of admiration. "It feels nice to actually have someone encourage you to do the right thing. Even if it is from someone who can be a little too harsh."

"Guilty as changed," he raised his arms and lowered them.

Angelina giggled.

"If I don't see you again through tonight and tomorrow, then I'll see you after the holidays. I hope you have a fun summer."

Severus's heart sank. "Yeah, sure. Have a great summer, Ivory. I hope you find happiness in whatever decision you go with."

Although confused by his choice of words, she blushed and touched the side of her hair.

"Thank you, Severus. See ya."

He heard her leave, making her way back to the castle. He couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and... _fun_. That was the most normal conversation he had ever had in such a long time, and it felt nice.

By the time the sun had set, he forced himself off the ground and made his way back to the castle of Hogwarts for dinner. Although he didn't want to eat with his fellow Housemates, he knew he had no choice. Every student and staff member of Hogwarts always attended three of the main feast during the school year. The one at the beginning. One before the Christmas holidays. And a final one at the end of the school year. He found his seat at the Slytherin table, but kept his distance from his Housemates.

Once everyone had been accounted for, Dumbledore rose from his seat and spoke to the students of the Great Hall.

"Once again another year has run its course and so summer begins, like the seasons of our world. I congratulate all of you for such hard work and dedication to your education. I wish farewell and good luck to our seventh years, who will be leaving us and joining the rest of the Wizarding World. Whatever you choose to do in life, I wish for a good life ahead of you."

Everyone cheered and clapped for the seventh years.

"Moving on to this year's winner of the House Cup, I congratulate Gryffindor, with a new record-setting of 982 points!"

Everyone at the Gryffindor table cheered and yelled out in victory. Even within the loud noise, Severus could hear James Potter above all, sneering as he controlled himself.

"In second place, Ravenclaw, with 704 points. Third place, Hufflepuff, with 579 points. And last place, Slytherin, with 236 points."

Almost right away, everyone started booing Slytherin.

 _Immature idiots!_

Severus couldn't help but sneer at them. Another great addition to the list of reasons he was leaving this pathetic school behind. Although he wondered if Dumbledore lowered the points of his House because of what Mulciber and Avery did to McDonald, which he didn't mind. It was perhaps his best way of getting revenge without early retaliation.

Once Dumbledore silenced the booing, he continued.

"I would also like to thank all of the staff of Hogwarts, including all the Perfects and our this year's Head Boy and Head Girl. Your hard work is a great service to us all."

Everyone clapped as he Headmaster continued on, going through the necessary announcements.

"Before I end, I would like to share something with you all. Something that the Ministry and maybe even your parents do not wish for me to share. But in the light of things, I believe you all should know, as you are the future of our world." He rubbed his beard. "As you all know, a new Dark Wizard has risen earlier this past decade. He prefers to not be called by his name, but rather as _He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named_. But that is his way of making you fear him, and when we fear something, we give it power. And so, I dare say his name... _Voldemort_."

The moment he said that name, everyone gasped. The lighting of the candles started to dim, with the sound of eerie winds rushing through the Great Hall at the very mention of the Dark Lord.

"He has been terrorizing the local villages and attacking Muggles, including Muggleborns, for the past few years. However, the situation has grown quite more dire now. While the Ministry denies it, there are rumors that Voldemort has infiltrated the Ministry of Magic and may have several powerful pureblood families under his control, some of which hold great influence in our government."

Whispering immediately started, with a lot of the students wearing shocked expressions. Severus turned to his Housemates and could see a few of them, particularly Mulciber and Avery, smiling to themselves.

Dumbledore's expression became serious as he looked out to every single in the Great Hall.

"I don't say this to frighten you. I say this to warn you of the dark forces that are rising. As each and every single one of you grow older, you are the future of our world, and it is the responsibility of me and my colleagues to help you prepare to face dark times as these, so that you all can live long lives and in peace. And for those who fear or dwell in the darkness, I remind you of this... ' _When the night is at its darkest, the dawn is not far behind. And when the dawn comes, the Light reveals all'_."

He smiled and clapped his hands together, the room lighting up brighter again.

"Now, I must inform you that the Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow at eight in the morning for London. Please have your suitcases ready and don't be late. Enjoy the feast and have a great summer!"

The moment he shot a series of spells up into the air, the entire atmosphere changed and a million different stars appeared, with a entire solar system right in the middle. Everyone gasped at the sight and started digging into the food that appeared before them.

Through the whole thing, Severus ate small meal and waited until it was time for everyone to leave. As he made his way with the others through the hallways, he found his opening and snuck away, heading for the abandoned classroom. Once there, he placed casted some charms to hide himself and sat at the corner of the dark room, drifting to sleep almost right away.

* * *

The entire Common Room of Gryffindor was full of students, snacks, drinks and loud music, although the Marauders had placed some wards to keep the noise from getting out, even when the entrance was opened.

Lily Evans joined in after doing her rounds as Perfect and was near exhausted, but was still in the mood for having some fun before she went to bed. She found her friends over by the drinks and got herself a cup of Butterbeer. While talking with her friends, she noticed James, Remus and Sirius having an argument. Unable to hear, she excused herself from her friends and snuck up behind them, getting within range to hear what they were saying in the corner of the Common Room.

"-is your problem, hm?" Sirius looked to be at the edge of his patience. "Snivellus had it coming and you know it! The world can do without him!"

"Okay, while I support pranking Snivellus any day, this was going too far, Padfoot," James glared at his best friend. "I mean, what if Snivellus got killed or turned? It all would have come back to bite Moony on the ass, and come to think of it, so would we. Did you actually think this through?"

"You sound like him," Sirius shook his head. "He said the exact same thing."

"And he's right," Remus jumped in, his arms crossed above his chest. "I swear, ever since that incident at the lake, Snape has been making a lot more sense than any of you combined."

"What do you mean, Moony? What has Snivellus done that actually makes sense to you?"

"Okay, one, stop calling him that pathetic name. What are you? Five? Second, _Severus_ has already saved three our own Gryffindors from students of his own House. Not to mention, he did the most shocking thing by apologizing to both Lily and Mary."

"But he's just doing it to win Lily back," James tried to counter him.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, taking a drink of his Butterbeer.

"I don't think so. I think Severus really is changing."

James shook his head, as he finished the last of his Butterbeer, licking his lips clean.

"Moony, listen to me, I know what I'm saying. Snivellus is a Slytherin and we all know that Slytherins are destined to go bad, sooner or later. The moment he came to Hogwarts, he knew more curses than half of the seventh years."

"Oh, you can't be serious!" Remus threw his hands up in the air. "Both of you have been saying that since our first year and we all know it isn't true. As smart as he is, Severus couldn't have learned that many spells before getting his wand. Did it ever occur to you that if Severus really did know those curses, the Ministry would have known? He has the Trace just like the rest of us!"

"Why do you defend him, Moony? He's a Slytherin."

"Okay, that's it! I'm going to bed! See you all in the morning!" Remus shoved right past them and ran up the stairs to the boys dormitory.

"Come on, Moony! Enjoy the party!" Sirius yelled, only for the music to drown his words.

James turned towards him, "I blame you."

"Me?"

"Yes, _you_! If you hadn't pulled that stupid stunt, then Moony would be having the time of his life right now."

Sirius waved him off and walked away, "I'm going to find Marci."

Lily watched as James shook his head and walked off to refill his drink. As she stood where she was, alone, she thought about what she had overheard and wondered what Sirius did that would put Remus and James in a bad mood towards him. And why was Severus involved? No, wait, an even bigger question, why would James actually think that any prank was going too far with Severus? He had no problem pranking him before. And how would it put Remus in trouble if Sirius was the one who did it?

She decided that when she could, she would get Remus to herself and ask him.

Realizing her cup was empty, she walked back to her friends and refilled it, pushing her questions and thoughts of what just happened to the back of her mind, getting back to enjoying the party with her friends.

* * *

Severus rose early as he got his things together and waited for curfew to be lifted. The good thing about the last day of school was that curfew was an hour less, giving the students enough time to be able to get ready for the Hogwarts Express. Once the clock hit six in the morning, Severus made his way out of the classroom, walking down the large hallways as he wished to leave the school and get to the train as soon as possible. However, he suddenly found himself wondering around as he studied every single structure of the castle. He questioned himself why was doing this, as he had no real love for the school. Or so he told himself.

As much as he hated to admit it, he felt he was going to miss Hogwarts. Maybe not the people, and most definitely not the Marauders or Slytherin. But he couldn't find it within himself to actually hate the actual school itself. It was bittersweet as he remembered the good times he actually had with Lily during his first two years.

Just like his home in Spinner's End, Hogwarts would always have a place in his heart. For better or for worse.

As he took a journey down memory lane, he couldn't help but wonder how things could have turned out differently if he had been Sorted as a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Would things have turned out better? Would he have been able to strengthen his relationship with Lily and maybe become romantically involved with her? Would James have left him alone? Would he have found a balanced way to study the Dark Arts without becoming corrupted by it?

He came to the conclusion that he would never know. He would only have what-if ideas, but nothing accurate. The past was easy to dwell on when looking back. Whether he liked it or not, this was the reality that was presented before him. What he did from here on out was in his control, and his first priority was getting the hell out of Hogwarts and begin a new life somewhere else.

Concentrating, Severus finally found it within himself to walk out the doors and gates of Hogwarts, not once daring to look back as he made his way to the train. It was still slightly dark out, with the sun starting to rise in the distance.

Once arriving, he found that there were several people who had the same idea as him and immediately boarded, finding a spot near the end, where he would be alone, unless if they were more packed than usual. He put his trunk in the compartment above him and put his small book bag against the window, sitting down as he stared off into space.

As the hours passed, more students arrived and started boarding, filling the compartments to sit in for the journey home.

Once the time was up, Severus felt the train start to move and turned his attention to the window, getting one last look at Hogwarts. He knew that this would be the final time he would set his eyes on the castle as a student. He felt that same bittersweet emotion again as it disappeared from sight behind the mountains. He turned away and looked forward, with a smile on his face.

After a while, Severus finally got up and exited his compartment, making his way to the sweets shop at the center of the train. While he wasn't into sweets, he figured it was time to make a change and try some out.

Once making his way back with a few sweets, he suddenly came to a stop as he found himself standing in front of a redheaded girl, who stared at him with surprise.

Lily Evans looked into the eyes of her once best friend and felt her heart stop at the sight of him. However, she quickly recovered herself and turned away, not wanting to acknowledge his presence any longer, moving to his side to get by him.

Severus's heart felt like it was being twisted from the inside. He knew that this would most likely be his final chance to talk to her, so he reached out and took her wrist, making her stop. She didn't turn to look at him, only looking to her side away from him, her red hair covering her face.

"Lily," he choked, feeling the tears coming as his heart raced. "I know you said you wouldn't acknowledge my presence or speak to me if I ever tried to talk to you again, but I don't care about that. I need to speak with you, even if you don't have anything to say." He paused, waiting for a response from her. Only to receive none as she stared to the corner, with her hair still blocking her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you that name. I didn't mean to actually say it. I was an asshole and I deserved every bit of anger and cold shoulder from you. But please, I feel like I'm dying without you. I really want our friendship back. I meant what I said, I'm done with Slytherin and the Dark Arts. As far as I'm concerned, Voldemort and his Death Eaters can go to hell."

Lily flinched at the mention the of the Dark Lord's name.

"I can promise you this, Lily. By this time next year, you'll know for certain that I mean every word. I've heard what you had to say, now I'm telling you what I have to say, and that I'm going to stand by it. If you don't want anything to do with me any longer, then I'll never see or talk to you again. I'll respect your wishes and leave you alone. _For good._ Even if it kills me, I promise I will. But I warn you that if you choose to officially end our friendship, it will be your decision to live with. There will be no going back." He forced back the tears and willed himself to finish. "Just know that I'm sorry and that I still think of you as friend, even if you don't. But I can't live like this anymore. In order for me to change my life, I can't obsess over you or wait for you to forgive me. I've apologized and made my peace with you. Whether you choose to forgive me is up to you. But one way or another, I'm changing my life and I'm really hoping you can be part of it."

He waited, hoping to the deepest parts of his heart and soul that she would choose to renew their friendship and take him back. His heart was racing at a hundred miles an hour, feeling as if time itself was slowing down.

But then he felt the presence of coldness in the palm of his hand, immediately shattering his heart as he watched Lily withdraw her hand from his reach and turned away, not once looking back at him as she walked down the small hallway of the train, disappearing around the corner. It felt like an eternity as he stared at the area she once stood and allowed for the tears to come.

He knew he should have known that this would have been her choice, she was still angry with him. But it was her choice and she had chosen. If the other times hadn't made it officially clear to him, it did now. Lily Evans no longer cared for him or their friendship. She had her sights on a future without him. Just like his would be without her.

Once back to his compartment, he sat down and let the tears come, not caring who saw him through the window of the door. He wanted to unleash his emotions, wanting to cry his tears and move on. It was the only way he could build himself a new, better life. He knew that with time and patience, he would be able to get over Lily and come to terms with everything that had happened.

Despite the pain and sorrow, he felt a sense of satisfaction and peace of knowing he had at least tried to apologize and fight for their friendship, even if it was already damaged beyond repair. Out of all the what-ifs in his life, he felt that this was one of the few he could look back on and know for certain that he had tried his best. Even if it had ended in failure.

No longer feeling like eating the sweets he had bought, he put them into the book bag and felt something brush against his hand. Looking inside, he recognized the envelope that the Hogwarts Postal guy had given him. Taking it out, he read who it was from and his eyes widened in shocked.

 _From: Eileen Snape_

 _To: Severus Snape_

His mind went wild as he held the envelope in his hands. He instantly knew that this was the last letter his mother had written to him before she died. Was it about what he had said in the letter he wrote to her? Did she have anything important to say?

Not wasting any time, Severus opened the envelope and took out a series of potion bottles, setting them to the side. Once taking out the letter inside, he unfolded it and began to read.

* * *

 _Dear Severus,_

 _Thank you for the letter you've written to me, I'm very happy to hear that your grades are well. I always knew you had the Prince gift within you._

 _But I'm not writing back to know your grades, I'm writing back because I'm disturbed by the dreams that you have mentioned. Especially the identities of William and Michelle. I beg of you Severus, how do you remember these names? Do these dreams involve more than just the names? I grow deep with worry that you may know more than you should. But as much as I wish I could keep this hidden from you, I also know that you deserve to know the truth._

 _I've told you a little bit about my life and how I went on the run from my father. And while I can say that everything I've told you has been the truth... I must confess that I haven't been completely honest about all of the truth. I wish I could tell you, face to face, but I'm not strong enough. The memories I have are too painful by themselves to talk about. There is too much hurt and history before the time you came into my life._

 _But I can offer you another way. In these potion bottles are my memories of everything you need to know. You'll need a_ _Pensieve. Professor Dumbledore will have one. If not from him, then I promise I'll take you to Diagon Alley and find one there._

 _I can only hope you can forgive me, Severus. My precious baby boy._

 _I promise that we will talk about Tobias and that I will follow your lead in whatever direction you choose to go in. And while we're on the subject of being truthful, I know about your affiliation with the Dark Arts and the Death Eaters. I'm so sorry, Severus. I should have been a better mother to you, and made sure you had stayed away from that stuff. But I'm happy now that you've come to see the truth and have turned your back on them._

 _I'll see you when you come home from Hogwarts for the summer. When you get back, I'll take you out for ice scream, like we always used to do. I deeply miss you, Severus. I want you back into my life. I want us to be a family again._

 _I love you, Severus. In this life and the next._

 _Love,_

 _E_ _ileen Snape,_

* * *

Tears slid down Severus's cheek and landed on the letter, feeling his heart and soul aching in sorrow from reading his mother's last words. A mix of anger, sadness, and numbness filled him within seconds. He wished he had done something long before it had escalated to this. Eileen Snape-Prince deserved a better life than this. She deserved a loving husband and happy, loving children, not a drunk and a brooding teenager who fantasied about the Dart Arts. Even if it meant his existence being wiped from history, he would have gladly sacrificed himself to ensure her happiness.

Turning his attention to the potion bottles and picked one of them up, seeing the memory inside. He instantly knew what he had to do now. Once he was done with everything that needed to be done involving his finances and the last remains of his old life, he would take a look into his mother's memories and discover the secret to what his dreams were all about. So many questions rose in his mind, but he pushed them down, knowing he would get his answers soon. But first, he needed to lie up loose ends before putting this one behind him. It would be the last loose end of his old life to finally be put to rest.

But he couldn't help but wonder, what secrets awaited him in those memories? And most importantly, how would they affect him when they would be brought to light?

* * *

 **Holy shit! Okay, remember what I said about chapter seven being the biggest chapter I've ever written? Well, I've officially topped that with this chapter. About nearly 12,000 words! I know I said I wouldn't try to write this big of chapters again, but I just couldn't stop. I was going to split it into two parts, but I figured it would be best to reward you guys for waiting so patiently. I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Message to "Good Idea": 'Thank you so much for the reviews you've posted. Also, I apologize if I sounded like I was questioning your knowledge of the Shrieking Shack incident. I'm just trying to get my information right. I've been known to get my information wrong before and I want to make sure I get it right for this story. Considering I'm trying to keep this as close to canon, so it can be a believable 'what-if' story. Also, I agree with what you had to say about Lily. Thanks once again for the reviews.' :)**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": 'Did I satisfy you in this chapter?'**

 **Message to "Just a lazy dude": "Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story.' :)**

 **Alright, so that's all for today. Please message me if there are any grammar mistakes, or missing words. I will try to go back and fix them, but I'm tired right now and I need to rest.**

 **See you guys in chapter ten! ;)**


	10. Loose Ends

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Hey guys! So sorry for the extremely, very extremely, long wait since the last chapter. I actually got half of this done two weeks ago, however, the Internet had been failing and I lost all of my work for this chapter, which put me in a bad mood. Then there was work and Game of Thrones to watch, so I got a little busy. But I also used the time to figure out more of the plot and I know how it is all going to go.**

 **So, yeah, that's why I haven't updated in a while.**

 **Also, I deeply apologize for the grammar mistakes from my last chapter. I went back and tried to correct what I could, but my work isn't perfect.**

 **As always, thank you to those for adding my story to their "Favorites" and/or "Alerts" lists, including the reviews as well.**

 **Enough of me yapping, enjoy chapter ten!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten:**

 **Loose Ends**

* * *

Severus stepped off the Hogwarts Express for the final time and left the train station with a bittersweet feeling in his heart, fully aware that the _Polyjuice Potion_ he had been using was starting to wear off.

On his way out, he saw all the students rushing towards their parents and greeting them with hugs. He also noticed the Marauders doing the same thing, feeling a rush of jealousy through his heart. But what caught his full attention was Lily, who smiled, lovingly, as she hugged her mother and father. Time felt like nothing to him as he stood still, a tear barely managing to escape from the corner of his eye.

He envied how she and all of the other students got to greet their parents like that, without ever feeling a single bit of fear of what would happen the second they reached home. Without fear of dreading the punches, kicking, whipping or yelling that used to wait for him.

As he continued to watch the Evans from afar, in the crowds, memories entered his mind of Lily's parents. Before his fifth year had started, both Richard and Elizabeth Evans had been the only people, besides Lily, who were kind to him. Whenever he was invited over for dinner or just came to visit, he was met with smiles and genuine concern of his well-being that his real parents never showed. Mrs. Evans always worried about his poor health and skinny body, complaining how he wasn't getting enough to eat. While Mr. Evans treated him like an equal and spoke to him with a level of maturity that he didn't give to his girls, aware of that he wasn't entirely like other kids. To him, they were the closest thing to what a mother and father should be.

As he watched the family, he took notice that Petunia had never once addressed or even looked at Lily, always staring off at the ground or into the distance. It was no secret to him that Petunia envied Lily for being a witch and treated her like an outcast, but even then she would at least say hi or hug her sister. He quickly caught a glimpse of Lily looking at Petunia, only to quickly look away, with sadness in her eyes. The sight sent shivers down his spine, knowing that the rift that existed between them had now gotten worse. It quickly reminded him of his parents, how it all started with fear, then led to anger, and finally, hatred. Lily would be like his mother, doomed to live with the fact that the person she loves hates her. And Petunia would be like his father, doomed to live with a hate-filled-heart and never find peace. But the last ingredient that always followed after hatred was pain. It was a good thing that the two sisters would not be in each other's lives for much longer or else they would end up exactly like his parents. And he knew how that would end.

But still, he knew he needed to do something about it, before it got worse. His friendship with Lily may be over, but he could still make sure that her relationship with her sister was saved. The last thing he wanted to see was another family torn apart because of the Wizarding World.

As the Evans family exited the station, Severus did the same and made his way to Diagon Alley, renting a room at the Leaky Cauldron, and finally made way to the Gringotts Banks, where Clawlock was waiting for him at exactly three in the afternoon.

The next five days afterwards were both the longest and shortest days Severus ever experienced in his life.

The first day was spent finishing the final touches of officially making him the new Lord of the Prince Dynasty. In fact, they never even went to Clawlock's office. They instead went to the Ministry of Magic through the Floo Network of the bank, where they spent most of their time in a department of the Ministry. While signing the necessary paperwork to legalize his claim to the Prince Dynasty, Severus decided to change his middle name from Tobias to Alexander, wanting to erase his connection to that dreadful man as much as he could. While he debated changing his first name, he couldn't bring himself to do it, as it was the name his mother gave him. He ended up considering it to be a small price to pay to honor her. By the end of it all, he signed a legal form that stated and officially released him from the _Trace_ , recognizing that he was emancipated and reserved special privileges to being a Lord. In the eyes of the Wizarding World, _Severus Alexander Prince_ was not subjected to the rules of society, as long as he didn't violate the International Statue of Secrecy.

Before leaving the Ministry, Severus was allowed to get his License to Apparate, passing the test with high scores.

By the time when both Severus and Clawlock said their farewells and went their separate ways, agreeing to meet again at the same time for the next couple of days, Severus tried his ability to Apparate for the very first time, appearing in his room of the Leaky Cauldron with a smile on his face.

The next three days afterwards were spent overviewing the finances of Severus's wealth and power - liquid assets, business capital, overseas investments, landholdings, stockholdings, and even influence of his family name in the Ministry. Despite his grandfather being dead for the past ten years, there were still certain key figures in the Ministry who were loyal to the Prince Dynasty. The work both Severus and Clawlock had to go through was exhausting, since the fortune so huge. The good news was that due to the wealth not being touched for many years, it was allowed to triple in size than originally believed because of the interest in it.

The three days Severus spent in Clawlock's office taught him much, giving him a perspective of the economy of the Wizarding World. By the end of the fourth day, Severus realized how his investments, both mainland and overseas, were restricted to old fashion stuff like wizard farm products, potions, brooms, leather works, wand-making, wizarding textiles, and wizard shipping. Everything was wizard material, nothing that was really big in the 20th century. In the end, he decided his investments needed a serious, long-overdue upgrade, and told Clawlock to look into investing in Muggle financial world, specifically into energy, private corporations, automobiles, technology, electronics, films, aerospace and science programs.

While Clawlock didn't show it, he was impressed with the young wizard and began to admire him for having vision and for doing something that very few wizard lords actually did. In his eyes, he saw a promising young lord who showed signs of potential, even those of a leader.

On the fifth and final day, Severus was given a box by Clawlock, with the symbol of the Prince family engraved on the top. Using the golden key that was given to him on the day he visited the vaults, he unlocked it, surprised as the key shrunk in size to fit through the keyhole. The box lit up as it was opened, recognizing him as the primary owner and as the _Lord Prince._ The light engulfed him and reflected off the walls behind him, leaving only the shape of his body in the background. A second later, the light receded and Severus opened his eyes to look inside, finding a wand, a golden ring with the Prince symbol engraved on it, and also a golden chain with a pendant, which also had the Prince family symbol engraved as well. Taking out the items, he put the wand in his pocket, the ring on his right index finger, and the pendant chain around his neck, which glowed as it touched his skin.

Clawlock explained that both the ring and the pendant were to be worn at all times when outside the Prince Manor, or wherever he chooses to live, as they both represented his claim and lordship of the Prince Dynasty, and also acted as portkeys to the Prince Manor, allowing him passage through all the wards that guarded it. He also explained that the wand was one of the prize possessions in the Prince family, only passed down from lord to lord. A representation of a Prince's birthright.

For the next hour afterwards, Severus focused solely on eliminating certain _loose ends_ to his former life in Spinner's End of Cokeworth. He had the house put up for sale and made sure to schedule to the place fixed up to be presentable for the next buyer. He also had the car sold to a small-time car dealership, having no need for it. Anything else in the house was to go with it when sold.

Before leaving for the day, Clawlock presented him with two letters from the Rome Wizarding Institution and the Salem Wizarding Academy, advising him to have an answer of which school he wants to attend, if they accepted him, by the following morning.

Once returning to his room of the Leaky Cauldron, Severus sat down on the edge of his bed and opened both letters, beginning to read each one. His heart raced, completely nervous about the decision that both schools had made.

* * *

 _28 June 1976_

 _Dear Mr. Severus Prince,_

 _We are pleased to announce that your application was accepted to enroll at the Rome Wizarding Institution for your final two years of education. If you so wish to accept your approved enrollment, please owl the institution before the end of August 10th, which is the end of all enrollment applications. If you fail to respond until then, your approved enrollment will be terminated._

 _We also took the liberty to look into your background and your grades at Hogwarts, and the board, including me, are very impressed. If you so choose to come to Rome, we can promise that the experience will be unlike anything from Hogwarts._

 _We look forward to your response,_

 _Respectfully yours,_

 _Aldo Antonio_

 _Headmaster of the Rome Wizarding Institution_

* * *

 _29 June 1976_

 _Dear Mr. Severus Prince,_

 _It is with great pleasure and honor to tell you that we've accepted your enrollment application to attend Salem Wizarding Academy. We've reviewed your grades from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and we're very surprised by your high scores, especially considering you have yet to receive your O.W.L.s grades. Please owl us back if you wish to accept or deny the enrollment. Be sure you reply before August 12th or else your acceptance will be considered invalid by that point,_

 _Please consider this offer. As a former Potions Master myself, I see a lot of potential in you. Salem is always on the lookout for people of great talent to help make the world a better place,_

 _Respectfully yours,_

 _Jackson Dillon_

 _Former Potions Master_

 _Director of the Salem Wizarding Academy_

* * *

Severus reread both of the letters a couple of times to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. Setting the letters to the side of him, he leaded back against the bed, sighing in relief and chuckled out loud, stretching his arms out across the bedsheets to enjoy the coldness of the fabric against his skin.

His mind was going wild as he thought about which school would be the best option for him. Never before had he received such attention like this from Hogwarts. It was all very new to him. But he still had to make a decision. Rome or Salem?

On one hand, Italy was an interesting place to him. But the more he thought about it, he recognized that it wouldn't be a place he would want to live for the next two years. He knew the school there spoke Italian, which he wasn't accustomed to. Sure he could learn, but it would take months, if not a years, to even become comfortable with speaking and reading the language. But then again, he was a Slytherin, meaning that he was supposed to adapt and change, which was the whole goal for him.

And then there was Salem. He wasn't as familiar with the school as the one in Rome, but he knew that the country spoke English, just in a different accent and way. If anything, it would be similar to the Wizarding World in Britain, with very noticeable differences of course. Unlike Hogwarts, Salem was both a boarding school and orphanage to all wizards and witches in America. But other than that, he knew nothing more.

Looking out the window, he saw that the sun was still high enough to make a final trip to Chokeworth and get whatever was left in his family home. Sighing to himself, he got up and Apparated from the Leaky Cauldron, appearing in the kitchen of his former home. He got all the supplies of his Potions and books from the small basement, putting them into a bag that he brought along.

After double checking the house to make sure he got everything, he found himself standing in the middle of the living room, his eyes studying the darkness around him. Chuckling at how appropriate the atmosphere was for the moment. His whole life at this very house was nothing but darkness and emptiness. Something caught his attention when his eyes drifted to the fireplace, seeing the golden jar resting on the edge of the stones.

Immediately Severus felt his heart harden as he looked at the jar that contained his father's ashes. Memories flooded his mind as he remembered every bad thing his father had ever done, questioning how his mother could defend and tolerate such a man, even if she was in love with him. The very fact that all of this was due to a man's weakness of refusing to accept the truth and drink himself into oblivion, only made Severus more angry. As far as he was concerned, his father didn't deserve to be buried or rest inside a jar of gold. He deserved to rot like waste.

Setting the bag down on the floor, Severus rushed forward and picked up the jar with his hands, making his skin scrawl. Going up the stairs, he went to the bathroom right next to his former bedroom and stood in front of the toilet. Once taking off the lid of the jar, he held it, dangerously, close to edge of the toilet.

"Rot in hell, you fucking bastard!"

Without hesitation, he completely tipped the jar over and the ashes of his father fell into the water of the toilet. Once satisfied he had gotten all of it out, he pressed down on the silver handle of the toilet and stood in silence as he watched the water swirl around and disappear down the drain, along with his father.

Picking the jar back up, he put it in the sink and washed it, wanting to make sure the remaining ashes were _taken care of_. Once done, he went down stairs and placed it back on the stones of the fireplace, figuring it would be a nice addition to the next family who would buy the place. Even in his moment of anger, Severus hoped that whoever bought his family home would turn it into a place of happiness and love.

Just as he was about to Apparate back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron, with the small bag in hand, his mind drifted to Lily and how this would be his final time being there at Spinner's End, or even Chokeworth for that matter. He wanted to go see her again, just one more time.

 _No,_ said a voice inside his head. _Lily made her choice on the train to have nothing more to do with you. You've tried to make peace three times already. Whether or not she forgives you is up to her._

Even he couldn't argue against the logic of that, no matter how much his heart begged to differ.

Right then he remembered Lily's parents and sister. If he was leaving Chokeworth for good, then he needed to at least pay his respects to the family before leaving, even if Lily is there.

His heart jumped at the thought of Lily, melting away the anger.

Sighing to himself, he went to the front door and exited the house, taking one last look before shutting the door behind him, walking down the sidewalk in the direction of Lily's home.

The walk usually took ten to fifteen minutes to reach Lily's house, having walked the path plenty of times before. He was lost in his thoughts when he found himself standing in front of the household, feet away from the steps of the porch. As the realizing hit, his heart raced and his mind was buzzing with questions. He never considered that Lily might have told her parents about what happened between them at Hogwarts. If she did, they would most certainly wouldn't want to see him, which he wouldn't blame them for if they did. He knew he would in their position.

Finding the courage within himself, he forced himself to climb the steps of the porch and knock softly on the door. He could hear footsteps on the other side and his heart sped out of control as he wondered if it was Lily, beginning to regret coming. He couldn't take the way she looked at him anymore. But his worries were put to rest once the door opened and a middle-aged man appeared.

"Severus?" said a surprised Richard Evans he pulled him into a hug. "It's been a while since I last saw you. How are you doing?"

Swallowing he replied, "Oh, you know, the _usual_. I just thought I would..." he stopped, trying to find a good reason why he came, not wanting anyone to know he was leaving, "... stop by and see how you are doing."

Once Richard had let him go of him, he had a look of suspicion and happiness in his eyes, "We tried to look for you at the train station, but we couldn't find your mother or you for that matter. When we asked Lily about you she said you have been spending time to yourself and also something about a family situation. Is everything alright?"

 _So she didn't tell them about what happened,_ he noted to himself. He debated with himself whether or not he should tell them about his parents. On one hand, it didn't really connect with his plans to go to America. But on another, it would raise questions about what would happen to him now, since no one knew he was the Lord of the Prince Dynasty. The last thing he needed was for someone to start asking questions.

To Severus's relief, he was rescued from having to answer when another voice came from behind Richard.

"Honey, who is it?" asked a middle-age woman, whose footsteps echoed from the small hallway. Richard turned and Severus met the eyes of Elizabeth Evans, who gasped at him. "Severus? Is that you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Evans," he nodded. "It's good to see you."

Without warning, Elizabeth rushed forward, right past her husband, and embraced Severus with a hug that knocked the wind out of him. Once she let go of him, she touched the side of his cheek and smiled.

"I won't have you calling me _Mrs._ , Mr.," she winked. "You're no stranger to us, you know you can call us by our first names."

"Besides, it makes us feel old when you don't," Richard teased.

Severus couldn't help but chuckle.

"I didn't mean to intrude or interrupt anything, I just thought I would stop by and say hello. The last time I was here was a year ago."

Elizabeth waved her hand, brushing it off.

"You didn't interrupt anything, Severus dear," she came right next to his side and took him by his arm. "In fact, we were just about to have dinner. Why don't you join us! I've made my special recipe of lasagna."

Richard chuckled and teased, "If you can call it _special._ "

Elizabeth shot him a glare and replied, "Oh really, _Mr.-I-Know-How-To-Cook_ , is that what you think of all the meals I've made for the past twenty-two years of our marriage?"

"Oh, come on, I'm just kidding," he continued to chuckle at the sight of her. "You know I love it when you make that angry face."

" _Bully_!" she tried to hide her smile.

Severus was enjoying the show. Whenever he was over, he got a kick out of how these two always teased one another.

"I really don't mean to intrude," he protested. "I understand that its been a long while since you've last seen your daughter and I'm sure you'll want to spend as much time with her as possible."

Turning their attention back to him, they smiled and led him inside the house.

"Oh, no worries about that, dear," Elizabeth patted his arm. "Lily is over at a friend's house tonight for a overnighter party, so she won't be back until tomorrow. Only Petunia is here, but we get enough of her as it is. Having you over is a special treat, although I do wish Lily could be here to make the special occasion complete."

Severus couldn't help but feel the complete opposite of her. If Lily was here, it would be very uncomfortable and awkward for both of them. She would have kept her attention away from him and not address him unless necessary.

He was led to the dinning room and sat down in one of the chairs, opposite of Richard.

"Petunia!" Elizabeth called up the stairs from the hallway. "Come on down for supper! And be on your best behavior, we have a guest over!"

Footsteps could be heard from the upper floor, making their way on down the steps of the stairs. Petunia Evans appeared around the corner, only to stop at the sight of Severus, surprised. Quickly getting herself together, she walked to one of the chairs and sat down, not once acknowledging his presence.

Richard had a look of disapproval, fully aware that she was ignoring Severus, but didn't say anything.

Elizabeth came from the kitchen with a large pan of lasagna, sitting it at the center of the table. Once taking her seat, Richard said a prayer and everyone got a plate full of food to eat. Throughout the whole time Severus ate very little, finding himself not in the mood. They talked and laughed at a few of Richard's jokes. Out of everyone Severus ever met, Richard was one of the very few who ever got a nice chuckle out of him. He knew how to make a joke, while also making the person it was intended for laugh as well. It was one of the reasons he was so well liked in the community.

During the whole time, Petunia kept quiet, eating her food slowly. Severus could tell that his presence was not welcomed to her.

"So, tell me, Severus, how are your parents doing?" Elizabeth took a drink of her water.

Thinking fast, Severus decided to answer without lying or giving anything way, "Um, not well. They got into another huge fight again. Worse than usual."

"Oh dear," Elizabeth had a look of concern, surprised by his honesty. "Is everything fine now? I feel terribly sorry for your mother to go through all of that."

Hesitating, he replied, "You could say that. But I highly doubt anything will change with how things stand now."

Realizing his wife was about to press on, Richard decided it was his queue to cut in, "Is there anything we can do to help, Severus? Me and Elizabeth are always here. If your father needs rehab, I can help him commit. I was once an alcoholic, you know."

Severus's eyes widened, completely shocked. He always known Richard as one of the most kindest men in the world, but never once did he take him as someone who used to drink.

"But you were never as bad as Tobias, my dear," Elizabeth immediately covered her mouth the moment the words left her mouth. "Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"No, no, it's okay," Severus put up his hands to reassure her. "Trust me, I know better than anyone that my father has earned that insult... _and more_."

"But still... he is your father."

"Father or not, I still don't blame you."

Elizabeth felt sympathy for him, becoming more aware that things back home were more worse than she originally believed. She knew that Tobias was a hard man, including how he talked to everyone. But now she feared the abuse went far past verbal and more physical.

"So, what are your plans for the summer?" Richard took a bite of his food.

"Well, I'm currently thinking about attending a summer school out of town, although I haven't made up my mind yet."

"During the summer?" Elizabeth's eyes widened with surprise. "You push yourself too hard, Severus. Young children like you should be enjoying the freedom that is granted to you, one day it won't always be there. I would do anything to be a young teenager again."

"I know I would," Richard teasingly elbowed his wife in the ribs, chuckling.

"Oh, shut up, you!" Elizabeth slapped him on the shoulder. "You're just lucky that my father never caught us doing the _things_ that we did, or else you would be six feet under."

"You know you would have missed me," Richard winked at Severus, who couldn't help but smile.

When dinner ended, Severus offered to help clean up, but Elizabeth wouldn't have any of it. In the end, it was both her and Richard who cleaned up and did the dishes, while Petunia went back up to her room. From afar, Severus enjoyed how they teased each other, like they were teenagers again.

Realizing his chance, Severus went upstairs and easily found Petunia's room, knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" asked a voice on the other side.

"It's Severus, may I talk to you?"

A few seconds of silence passed until the door was unlocked and opened slightly, Petunia's head leaning out.

"What do you want?" she hissed, annoyed that he was standing in front of her room.

Severus found it ironic how he was getting a taste of his own medicine, considering that was his reaction to anyone who approached him. It really was as painful as it looked to his past victims.

"Um..." Severus couldn't find the words that he needed to say, realizing just how hard it was to open up. "Ah..."

 _Oh God, will you stop acting like a first year and just man up already!_ His Slytherin side of him screamed.

Petunia raised an eyebrow, "If you have nothing to say, then I'll just shut the door now."

Just as she was about to slam the door in his face, Severus's hand reached out and grabbed the side, stopping her.

"No, please, I really need to say something to you."

"Then say it," she hissed, staring at the rug of her floor.

Taking a deep breath, Severus said, "I'm sorry."

Petunia froze in place before looking up, with a shocked expression on her face.

"Wait, what did you say?"

"I said, _'I'm sorry!'"_ he repeated, his tone more serious as he looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry for what I did you to so many years ago. I never should have done or said any of those things. I won't make excuses for my actions, nothing will justify any of it."

Petunia studied him as the words were processed in her head.

"Why?" she demanded, opening the door wider as she stood before him. "Why are you saying this now?"

"Because..." he paused. "... it's the right thing to do. And also because I want to amend my wrongs to those I've hurt. Look, I don't care if you forgive me or continue to hate me, that's up to you. I just needed to say what needed to be said."

Petunia continued to look him into the eye as she thought about what she would say next.

"Well, you've said your words and I don't forgive you," she turned away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

"Wait!" he pleaded, keeping his hand firmly on the door. "There's something else I want to talk to you about."

Sighing in disbelief and annoyance, Petunia turned back around and folded her arms over her chest.

"Okay, what about?"

"You need to forgive Lily."

Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"What?!" she nearly screamed. "Why on Earth should I forgive her? You are one thing, but my sister is another."

"Because if you don't, you'll end up hating her for the rest of your life. And trust me, I've seen and felt what hatred does."

"Don't talk to me about hatred or that you understand what I'm going through!"

"I'm not!" Severus fought back. "I can't understand what you're going through because I will never be you. But I know hatred, and I saw the way how you acted towards Lily at the train station a few days ago."

"Why do you care how I feel towards Lily?" her face lit up red. "You've never cared about how I felt before."

"You're right, I never did. And to be honest, I still don't. But I'm warning you anyway, because I've seen this happen before. If you keep on holding this grudge you have against your sister, its going to make things worse for you... and her as well."

"You don't know what its like!" she raised her voice, looking back up at him with anger in her eyes. "You don't know what its like to be an outcast, to be alone and pushed to the side, believed to be a freak when really others are the true freaks! People like _you_!"

Anger rose inside Severus, all surroundings escaping his attention, except Petunia.

"No... you don't!" he stated, completely breaking her confidence with those three words. "You say that you're an outcast and alone, but yet you have a family who loves you and a sister who wishes to have a relationship with you. You say _we_ are the freaks, when you have no idea what that word even means. And you dare say that you know what it means to be pushed off to the side. Well, let me tell you a story about a woman who understands all of those things better than you."

Petunia was at a loss of words, unable to think coherent thoughts.

"This woman grew up with a father who wished to marry her off to any man who shared his beliefs, no matter what kind of person he was. Finding the courage within her, she escaped and married a man she fell in love with, being disowned by her father for it. Years later, the couple had a child and the woman was forced to reveal a secret she had kept hidden, only to be rejected and abused from the very man she fell in love with. But that wasn't the worst of it, do you know how this story ends?"

Petunia was close to tears as she shook her head.

"The woman was killed by her husband, a man she continued to love, despite that he no longer loved her. Maybe she did get to experience love and happiness for a little while, but it all started the same as any tragic story does. It started with fear, then that fear led to anger, hatred, and finally to suffering. In the very end, she truly was alone and tortured.

"But here you are, complaining over something as silly as your sister being a witch. Why on Earth is that such a bad thing? What has she ever done to you to deserve your continuing anger and cold shoulder? I can promise you that I've earned it more times than I can count, but I can't find a single moment that Lily ever did from you. In fact, I think there are tons of Muggles who would find it awesome that their sibling could do magic!"

Petunia turned away, tears running down her cheek, as she slowly began to silently sob.

Severus calmed himself down and continued, "Look, I really do mean it that I am sorry for the things I've done to you. But please, don't take them out on Lily if that's part of the reason. I will be the first to admit right here and now that Lily isn't perfect. She's made mistakes, but everyone has, _especially_ me. I'm begging you to forgive her, whether or not if she really did you any wrong. But please don't let your grudge control your relationship with her.

"Like I said, _I've seen it happen before and it doesn't end well._ "

Petunia shivered at his final words and closed her eyes. The moment she opened them and turned around, she found that Severus was already gone. Sighing to herself, she went back into her room and closed the door, getting under the covers of her bed and went to sleep, with Severus's words weighing heavily on her mind.

* * *

The rest of the night, Severus sat in the living room with both Richard and Elizabeth, enjoying himself in their company. When Elizabeth had decided to retire for the night, Severus took his leave, wanting to get back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron, so he could make his decision about which school he wanted to attend and finally see the memories his mother left for him.

However, the moment he made it to the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see that it was Richard.

"Care to stay just a little while longer?" he asked. "I figured we could talk outside on the porch. Its been a while since I've had a conversation with someone in my own house who wasn't a woman."

" _I heard that!_ " came the distant voice of Elizabeth from the top of the stairs, making both of them chuckle as they went outside.

As they sat in the two wooden chairs, they let the cool air and peaceful atmosphere of the night settle in, admiring the cloudless sky and millions of stars.

"So, tell me," Richard turned to Severus. "How are things between you and Lily?"

A chill went down Severus spine, worried that he had pieced some of the clues together.

"Well..." he sighed. "... not good, sir."

"Hey, I told you not to call me that!" he teased, before making a sad expression. "And do you mean by _'not good'_?"

Severus thought about how much he should say, worried that he would be throw off the porch or worse.

"We... we had a fallout earlier this year. Since then, Lily hasn't taken it well, which I don't blame her for."

Richard sighed and nodded, "I figured as much. I saw the way how she act whenever she hears your name from us, since the day she came home. I haven't seen that kind of behavior from her in a long time, not since the time I had to ground her for getting into a fight. It broke my heart to see her ignore and avoid me. If there is one thing that Lily gets from me and my father, its our _temperament_. If provoked right, we can easily get angry and hold grudges. Hell, even Petunia gets that from me."

"I hope you don't take offense, but I thought they got that trait from their mother."

Richard chuckled and replied, "Well, Elizabeth can seem that way, easy mistake to make. But no, the qualities my girls get from my wife is her good looks and intelligence, which are two things I, sadly, don't have."

Severus smiled.

"As easy as Elizabeth can be to make angry, she gets over it pretty easily. The Evans family is known for their temperament, despite how kind and happy we may appear to be." He waved it off. "Care to explain what it was that drove a rift between you and Lily? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, its just me being curious."

Severus thought for a moment and replied, "I said something that I shouldn't have. It was in a moment of anger and embarrassment for me, but in no way does it excuse me from any of it. I would give anything to go back and change it."

Richard nodded, understanding that he didn't want to go into detail, satisfied with the information he had got.

"This might shock you, but I once had a similar situation happen to me when I dating Elizabeth back in the day. You remember what I said that I was once an alcoholic?"

Severus nodded, leaning forward in his chair, hoping he would continue.

"Well, I was a _wild child_ back in my teenage years, especially Elizabeth. It was the very late 1940s and that was around the time when the _age of teenagers_ was beginning to rise. My friends and I would do all sorts of things that parents would disapprove of, but nothing illegal or seriously bad. The age for alcohol was as low sixteen during that time, so I was able to get away with it. It was also the time when I met Elizabeth and became best friends with her. A few months later, we started dating. But anyway, I always limited myself to how much I drank, especially in front of her. At first it was easy, but the more I drank the more I found myself pushing the limit."

Richard stopped, sighing to himself.

"As it turned out, I wasn't the only one who had their sights on Elizabeth. Some high school football player who always got everything his way, I never could remember his name, but he was out to win Elizabeth over and I got jealous, actually believing that the bastard had the chance of winning her, when she was already dating me at the time. It was during our final year as high school students when my drinking started to get out of control. On a Friday night, I was out with my friends and I so happened to see that very same football player succeeding in stealing a kiss from Elizabeth, who was slapped him right across the face for doing that, and as you can image, I had one too many beers that night. I tried to get into a fight with him, only for Elizabeth to hold me back and we ended up arguing. I still can't recall all the words I said, but I know I hurt her feelings that night, and sent her home crying."

Severus couldn't help but see the parallels between Richard's story and his.

"By the next morning I was so ashamed with myself for what I did, even threw away every beer bottle I had and never drank again. It was a total of five days before Elizabeth spoke to me and forgave me, understanding that I was under the influence. But even to this day I still regret that night, even though I don't remember what I said to her. Elizabeth tries to reassure me that not even she remembers all of it, but I can tell that she is only lying to spare me the pain of knowing what I said, which actually somehow only makes me feel more terrible. But that was when I knew I was in love with her. I could never understand how she could forgive me and love me after what I did. But anyway, after we graduated we went to the same college together in London and married a year later, deciding to start a family after we finished our degrees."

Severus smiled, happy that the story had a happy ending. But he still couldn't shake the feeling of how closely similar the story was to his, only except for him there was no happy ending waiting.

Looking at him, Richard laughed to himself, "Oh, look at me, talking about my past mistakes to a teenager, like a sad old man. The past is full of what-ifs and the unknown, my friend. Just like the future."

Severus nodded in agreement, letting the silence settle in between them as they stared at the sky.

"It was a sunny day at Hogwarts when it happened," Severus began his story, making Richard turn to look him, while he still looked up towards the stars. "I was doing my normal thing, until James Potter and his small gang decided to bully me like they always do. Lily came to my rescue and I felt so embarrassed and humiliated that I said a certain word to her that is highly looked down upon in _my world_. The moment I said this particular word, I instantly regret it, but the damage was already done. I saw the hurt and anger in Lily's eyes.

"I tried so many times to seek her forgiveness, but I know she can't grant me it. I crossed a line, one that I know I can't come back from. I'm not saying this to get your sympathy, I know I don't deserve it. No amount of justification or excuses can make right what I did."

Tears started to appear at the corner of his eyes, threatening to break the barrier.

Richard nodded and got up from his chair, moving towards Severus as he laid a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Severus," he spoke softly. "I may not know what word you may have called Lily, but I can tell that you did not mean it and that you highly regret it. You must understand that we all make mistakes in life, even the most wisest and powerful of us do. But it is through our mistakes that make us better people, as long as we choose to recognize and acknowledge our mistakes. While we must live with the fact that we made these mistakes, we must also let go of the guilt and move on." He paused. "Give Lily some time, she'll come around and forgive you."

Severus sniffled and replied, "I don't know if she can this time."

"She will," he smiled, taking a few moments before he spoke again. "You love her, don't you."

Severus turned to look at him, shocked.

"But..." he struggled to get his words right. "How... how did you know?"

"I knew by the way how you look at her. It was the same look I gave Elizabeth when I was your age. Not to mention that Lily usually can't shut up about you."

Severus laughed.

"You should wear that smile more often," Richard yawned. "It really does suit you." He stretched. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. Will we see you around, Severus?"

Severus thought for a moment and replied, "I don't know, if I go to another school then I'll be out of town for a while. I guess we'll see."

"Well, I wish you good luck then. And please remember, Elizabeth and I are always here for you and your family, so if you need anything, all you need to do is ask. Have a good night."

"Goodnight. Oh, and Richard?"

'Hm?" he turned around.

"Thank you."

Winking at him, he opened the front door and replied, "No problem, kiddo." Disappearing inside the house as the door closed behind him.

Once satisfied that he was safe, he walked off the porch, along with the small bag in his hand, and Apparated just a few blocks from the Evans house, reappearing in the room he rented at the Leaky Cauldron. He sat on the bed as he thought about his visit with the Evans, happy that it went better than he hoped it would. After a while, his thoughts drifted to the decision of which school he was going to attend, reading the letters over again. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't bring himself to officially make a decision.

Sighing, he immediately remembered something else that has also been on his mind for quite a while since the day he got off the Hogwarts Express. _His mother's memories._

Now that he had tied up the last loose ends he needed tying up, with the exception of which school he would attend, he was now free to go into the memories without worry. But even then he still feared what he would find inside them. He had everything prepared for what he needed to do. The _Pensieve_ was already setup in the corner of the room, having bought it from an old store in Diagon Alley. The potion bottles are all lined up in the order they were meant to go. The only thing left to do was to go through them and see what they had to reveal.

Getting up from the bed, he walked over to the _Pensieve_ and looked at the potion bottles for a few moments, his heart racing with excitement and worry. Pushing those feelings aside, he took each potion and spilled the memories into the _Pensieve_ , one by one. When there were no more left, he prepared himself and pushed his head into the _Pensieve_ , a bright light engulfing him as he began to witness the first memory before his eyes.

* * *

 **Haha! Another cliff-hanger! Yes, I just had to throw another one at you. But hey, I had to end it here, or else this would have been a little too long for my liking. The next chapter will focus on what Severus sees in these memories (and I know how much a lot of you have been waiting to read this part of the story ;)).**

 **I really hope I did a good job with Lily's parents. I didn't want to make them the cliché, always happy and perfect parents that we get so much. I wanted to represent a more fun, interesting and human side to Mr. and Mrs. Evans. I really wanted to add in the scene between Petunia and Severus, since I feel it was something that needed to be addressed (speaking of which, we will get scenes between Petunia and Lily later on). But anyway, I always had a problem with how the novels and movies portrayed Petunia. She always felt cartoony and one-dimensional (know what I mean?). So I wanted to do a more human side of the character and have someone actually put her in her place, before she becomes the bitch we all know in the main cannon. I just hope I succeeded in all of this.**

 **Thank you to all of you who had left a review from the previous chapter. It really does mean a lot to me. I don't have time to write any messages to any reviewers right now, not to mention that there are too many to reply to. But definitely the next chapter I will. ;)**

 **I'm sorry for any mistakes in terms of grammar and among others. I will try to go back and correct what I can.**

 **I apologize for the long wait, I will try to get back on track and keep these chapters coming out once within every two weeks. But I thank you for your patience.**


	11. Memories of a Forgotten Past

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Yeah, I'm going to skip the introduction. I know you guys have been dying to read this one.**

 **Enjoy chapter eleven! ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven:**

 **Memories of a Forgotten Past**

* * *

 _All Severus saw at first was a bright white light, blinding him of his surroundings. Once the light receded, he found himself on a stone pathway of a large garden, with flowers and tall trees all around him. The sun was high in the sky, with no clouds in sight._

 _From his right, he heard laughing and turned around to find three children, two girls and one boy, running right towards him._

 _"Hey, wait up guys!" the boy cried out, desperately trying to catch them. "You're way too fast for me."_

 _One of the little girls looked back at him, smiling, "It's called 'catch me if you can' for a reason. If you want to catch us, you have to outrun us."_

 _"Oh, I'm going to make you eat those words!" the boy's eyes had a look of determination._

 _Fearing the girls would run into him, he was met with surprise as they passed right through him like he was invisible air, with the boy doing the same thing a second later. It quickly dawned on him that no one could see or touch him in these memories. They were nothing more than mere recordings of his mother's life. Wanting to stick with them, he ran after them and soon found the boy complaining as the two girls climbed a tree to escape him._

 _"No fair, guys!" the boy sighed in frustration. "I thought I was supposed to outrun you, not climb trees to get you."_

 _"But where's the fun in that?" one of the girls teased. "I love climbing trees."_

 _"Not everyone is the same as you, Eileen."_

 _Severus's eyes widened as he looked at the little girl who would one day become his mother. Compared to how he knew her in his timeline, she looked and acted so much different. This Eileen was more fun-free, happy, adventurous, and apparently, loved to climb._

 _'Already I'm learning something new about her', he thought to himself._

 _"I love climbing trees, too," said the other girl, who hanged from the edge of the long branch by her hands._

 _The boy looked at her and rolled his eyes, "Don't encourage her, Helena!"_

 _"Oh, stop acting like a whiney cat, Maximillian!" the girl known as Helena shot back._

 _Now Severus's eyes widened even bigger as he remembered Clawlock telling him about Eileen's siblings, Helena and Maximillian. If he remembered correctly, Helena was the oldest and Maximillian was the second eldest, which in turn made Eileen the youngest of them. He was curious about his aunt and uncle, wondering what happened to them after they left the Prince family. He hoped that these memories would tell him._

 _"Alright, fine," Eileen dropped down from the tree and onto the grass, making her way over to the pavement, dusting the dirt from her skirt. "We'll play a new game. How about, hide and seek?"_

 _"No, we've already played that yesterday," Helena let go of the branch and landed on her feet. "How about we go for a swim at the lake? It's within the perimeter of the wards."_

 _"But what about father?" Eileen's eyes of excitement were replaced with worry, a look that Severus was all too familiar with. "He doesn't like us to leave the Manor."_

 _"Don't worry, he won't find out," Maximillian reassured, putting his hand on her shoulder. "If he does, we'll protect you."_

 _"And mum will too," Helena winked. "Come on, lets go change into our swimming suits and chill for a bit. I can use a break from the Manor."_

 _As the three ran off, Severus stood where he was, completely left in awe that what he had just witnessed was actually his mother. It was so new for him to see 'the' Eileen Snape look so happy and beautiful, even at that age. She very rarely talked about her past life before marrying Tobias. In fact, before Clawlock told him, he never knew he had an aunt and uncle for that matter._

 _Just as he was about to follow the children, the whole sequence changed and a new memory began._

* * *

 _"You can't do this to our children, Cornelius!" a woman exclaimed. "I won't stand for it!"_

 _Severus was now standing a very large office, with the ceiling a story high in the air. There were tons of books and furniture all around. In front of the large widows was a giant desk, with a man, hidden by his own shadow, sitting in his chair, hands crossed. A woman stood before him, her face as red as blood._

 _"I can, and I will!" the man spoke back, keeping his voice low and calm, but also keeping a firm authority behind it. "And you will know your place, dear wife! Don't think I won't harm you in the presence of our children."_

 _"No, Cornelius!" the woman stood her ground. "I've sat back and watched you try to poison our children's' minds with these ridiculous beliefs of pureblood!"_

 _The man known as Cornelius snorted and replied, "Don't lie to me! I know you've been working to undo all that I've taught our children about our society."_

 _Pretending she didn't hear him, she continued, "But I won't sit back and let you marry them off to strangers they barely even know. You have no right to decide who Eileen, Helena and Maximillian get to spend the rest of their lives with. I know about the arrangement you've made for Eileen to marry Abraxas Malfoy, despite the fact that the young man was already arranged to marry someone else, and I won't allow for my precious daughter to marry someone she barely knows."_

 _"Abraxas Malfoy is the only heir to the Malfoy Dynasty, and his father is the only other person who can rival me. I need for this union to happen, so that the bloodline is kept pure. So that my legacy continues on for centuries to come. And most importantly, to put an end to our feud, once and for all."_

 _"And what does Lord Septimus Malfoy II get from this marriage arrangement, exactly?" Rebekka demanded. "He wouldn't agree to something like this, not without reason. I know how much he sees your family name as a threat to his. And it isn't like he needs the wealth and power from us. He has everything he'll ever need. There must be something he's after that only you have. What is it that's more important than our own daughter?!"_

 _"That... is none of your concern!" Cornelius hissed._

 _"None the less, I still won't stand for it."_

 _"You married me by an arranged marriage. How is that any different?"_

 _"You're right, I did marry you out of obedience for my family... and that's a decision I have, and always will, regret for the rest of my life. No child should be forced to do something as cruel as that."_

 _"Stupid woman!" Cornelius rose from his seat, but his face exposed to the light of the sun from outside, moving towards the woman that Severus deduced was Rebekka Prince, his grandmother. "I've given everything to you. Wealth, power, a beautiful home, servants, children! Do you have any respect or appreciation for me, or the things that I've done?"_

 _"No," Rebekka's expression remained firm and hard. "You don't deserve respect, Cornelius. Not from me! Not from your children! Not even from your own name!"_

 _Cornelius brought his hand forward and struck Rebekka, nearly making her fall. Catching the side of the desk to stable herself, she made no noise or whimper in pain. When she turned to look back at her husband, her entire face was red from the strike. Severus knew from experience that it would be swollen soon._

 _"I'll wear this as a representation of your 'love' to everyone in this household."_

 _"Silence!" Cornelius spat, pointing towards the large doors. "Get out of my sight! Or else I'll give you another 'representation' of just how much I love you, dear wife!"_

 _Rebekka turned to leave, walking towards the doors as Severus followed, glaring back at the man who was his grandfather. If he was alive during this time period, he would have hexed the man into oblivion for what he did. The moment Rebekka exited the door and closed it, she began to cry and fell against the wood of the door, sliding to the ground._

 _Suddenly, two figures in darkness of the large hallway moved towards Rebekka and a pair of arms wrapped around her._

 _Letting the tears run free, she pulled her daughters into an embrace, allowing themselves to unleash their emotions in each other's presence._

* * *

 _The sequence changed and Severus was in a bedroom, watching as a teenage boy, from the looks of eighteen years old, packed a trunk full of clothes and galleons. His face was red with anger, completely oblivious to everything around him. He didn't even notice as the door was pushed open and bounced off the wall, making a loud 'thud'._

 _"Max, please don't leave us!" pleaded a teenage Eileen, taking ahold of his arm._

 _Helena came through the opened doorway and put a hand on Eileen's shoulder, "Eileen, leave it! He's made up his mind and he deserves to be with Jessica. Father had no right to call her by that... disgusting word."_

 _"I should have beaten him to a bloody-pulp!" Maximillian spat with venom, shoving more clothes into the trunk. "If that's what he thinks of me and Jessica, then I'm done trying to win his approval. I'm sorry, but I need to leave. I can't take this anymore."_

 _"At least stay until mother gets home," Eileen continued to try and persuade her brother to change his mind. "You know she'll be heartbroken if you leave without saying goodbye."_

 _Maximillian raised an eyebrow at her, "Did you seriously think I was leaving without seeing mother one last time? Of course I was going to wait to say goodbye, Eileen! I'm making my escape tonight and pick up Jessica from her father's place. Once we're out of the country, me and Jessica are going to travel the world and live life on the road."_

 _"Spoken like a true adventurer and romantic," Helena teased._

 _"Please don't go, Max!" Eileen pleaded again, her eyes filled with tears. "You're my brother- Our brother! I know father is hard to deal with-"_

 _"'Hard' to deal with?"_

 _"-but there must be another way. Maybe you and Jessica can... marry in secret... wait for father to die and-"_

 _"That won't work, Eileen," Max interrupted. "Say that I do marry Jessica in secret, then what? We'll only be able to see each other in private, be looking over our shoulders to make sure father never finds out. And what if he does find out? It wouldn't surprise me if father went to extraordinary lengths to make sure I wed the girl he wants for me. Did you did know that Abraxas was already proposed to another highborn girl, before father made the deal for him to marry you instead?"_

 _Eileen shook her head._

 _"Well, it's true. One way or another, father will see to it that you, me and Helena are married to the people he's chosen for us, no matter what."_

 _"Then what do you suppose we do?" Helena spoke. "Say that you run away with Jessica, get married, have a couple of children and live happily-ever-after. Great for you! But what about Eileen and me?"_

 _Her words sank in as he looked away, only to look back up at her with an idea._

 _"Come with me!"_

 _"What?" both Eileen and Helena exclaimed simultaneously._

 _"Come with me," he repeated. "Me and Jessica are planning to travel the world together, and I know she'll want some company. It can be just like we used to talk about. We can escape our father and live our lives the way we want to."_

 _"But... but..." Eileen was at a loss of words, struggling to think up coherent thoughts. "...what about mum?"_

 _"We'll come back and visit her. Or at least outside of this damn Manor."_

 _"Father will take that privilege away from us," Helena countered. "You know he will."_

 _"Doesn't matter. We'll find a way to see mother and live our lives the way we want to. But I can't stay here anymore and take this shit. I'm making a change and leaving all of this behind."_

 _Severus could tell that Eileen and Helena were conflicted, really taking to heart what Maximilian was offering them. There was a part of him that wanted to shout at them to go and just leave._

 _After a few moments of silence, Eileen spoke, trembling, "I'm... I'm sorry... but I can't. I must perform my duty and marry Abraxas Malfoy as father has requested-"_

 _"Oh, fuck duty! Fuck Abraxas! And fuck father!" Max took both of Eileen's hands. "Eileen, you can't marry Abraxas just because father says so. I may not know him, or even if he'll make a good husband to you, but I do know that you can't marry someone you barely know. You'll end up like mother if you choose to marry him. You need to take control of your life and live the way that you want to. If you don't, you're only allowing others to tell you how to live, what to believe, and who gets to influence your life."_

 _He turned towards Helena and looked her in the eyes, "Same goes for you too. Father will want to see you married by the time Eileen graduates from Hogwarts. He's been planning for these arranged marriages for a long time. And I'm not waiting around to be married off to someone I barely know, and forced to live a miserable life, where I rely on mistresses to satisfy me."_

 _Helena chuckled, "Like you would be able to do something so dishonorable."_

 _"But what about my education?" Eileen took the matter into consideration._

 _"There are tons of wizard schools overseas," Max reassured her. "Heck, I've been hearing some buzz about those Salem and Ilvermorny schools in America. They may not be Hogwarts, but they seem to be doing well for itself."_

 _"But what about money?" Helena countered. "How do you expect to travel around the world if you don't have the expenses to cover it? In fact, how do you expect to get that money in a short amount of time?"_

 _Max smiled and went to the bed, moving the clothes to the side of the trunk to reveal tons of gold and galleons._

 _Eileen, Helena and Severus stared in awe._

 _"How did you manage to get all of that?" Helena asked, her tone becoming serious again._

 _"Oh, um, I... 'barrowed' it from the vaults, from the times I've visited the bank with father."_

 _"You've been planning this the whole time?!" the two girls yelled at the same time._

 _Max laughed, "Uh, yeah! I knew there would come a time when I would leave, but I wanted to be prepared when the time came. I have enough to last me a lifetime, as long as I limit myself."_

 _"Yeah, because you're so good at that," Helena teased, smirking._

 _Max stunk his tongue out at her, while Eileen laughed._

 _"Look guys," Max's expression turned serious as he closed the trunk, satisfied he had everything ready to go. "I really want you both to come with me and Jessica. I don't like the idea of leaving either of you here with father. I bet that if all three of us agreed to do this we could convince mother to leave as well. We can do the things we've always wanted to do since we were children. We can finally be free of this life. But one way or another, I'm leaving. Whether or not you want to come is up to you."_

 _Both Eileen and Helena looked at each other, as they debated within their minds of the decision before them._

 _Finally, Eileen spoke first, "Look, Max, I really want to go. But I also want to finish school first and... I can't leave mother. I just can't. You know she'll never leave Britain behind, it's all she's ever known."_

 _While disappointed, Max nodded and then turned his attention to his older sister._

 _Helena sighed, "I can't leave if Eileen doesn't. Someone has to stay and keep her out of trouble."_

 _"Hey!" Eileen sent her sister a death glare, making everyone laugh._

 _Once they calmed down, silence was all that was left as they allowed the moment to sink in._

 _"Look, I'll stay just long enough to say goodbye to mother. She deserves to know, but I'm not turning back on my decision, no matter how much she'll beg me to stay. Once I know for certain that father is asleep, I'm gone."_

 _Both girls sadly nodded._

 _"Promise you'll try to find us when everything has calmed down?" Eileen embraced him, tears threatening to break from her eyes. "Oh, and please take pictures of the wedding. You know, whenever Jessica and you decide to 'tie-the-knot'. I'm sure mother would love to see them too."_

 _Max chuckled as he breathed into her hair, "I promise."_

 _Helena sniffled as she too came forward and embrace them both._

 _"You be careful, hear?"_

 _"Whatever you say, Helena."_

 _After preparing his trunk, Max left the room with his sisters and waited for their mother in one of the living rooms of the Prince Manor._

 _The moment Rebekka Prince entered, they all stood up at the same time._

 _Lady Rebekka raised an eyebrow at her children, "You know, after all of these years, one would think that the three of you would have gotten better at hiding your guilt around me. So tell me, what have you done now to act so 'nervous' to my approach?"_

 _Max closed his eyes and took a quick breath, "It isn't what I've done, mother. It's what I'm going to do."_

 _Rebekka's expression lowered, worry and fear clear in her voice as she replied, "What on Earth do you mean, Maximillian?"_

 _He took a moment, "I'm leaving."_

 _Silence filled the room as the words sunk in._

 _"Don't be ridiculous, Max," Rebekka approached him, cupping his cheek with her hand. "You can't up and leave everything you've ever known. What about your sisters and me? What about Jessica?"_

 _"Jessica is the reason I'm leaving. I told father about us and asked for his blessing. But he refused, saying he's already picked out a 'suitable' bride for me and..." He paused, struggling to hold in his anger. "... he threatened her life if I continued to see her."_

 _Rebekka gasped, covering her mouth._

 _"I'll speak to him at once about this!"_

 _He shook his head, "It won't matter. Not to him."_

 _"I'll get him to call off whatever marriage arrangement he's made and make him give you his blessing."_

 _"But you can't 'make' him, mother. No one can. You know it wasn't by some miracle that he got Eileen engaged to Abraxas, especially after what happened. He never leaves anything to chance. Even if you convince him to give his blessing, what makes you think he won't 'arrange' for something to happen to her?" He sighed. "Please let me go, mother. Please let me leave with Jessica. It's the only way for me to be with her, and... to be happy."_

 _Rebekka sighed as she struggled with the dilemma, tears forming in her eyes as she stared into her son's own._

 _Nodding, she replied, "You... have my permission... to leave. And to marry this young woman you've fallen in love with. Go, and live your life, my son. But please promise me that you'll be better than your father. The world is already filled with too many bad ones."_

 _Maximillian began to laugh with joy and relief as tears began to form in his eyes. He embraced his mother and whispered into her ear, "I promise, mother."_

 _"I love you, Max. Always remember that."_

 _"I will. And I love you too, mother."_

 _Without warning, both Eileen and Helena joined in as well, enjoying the comfort of one another in a single family embrace._

* * *

 _"WHERE IS HE?!" Cornelius's voice echoed around his giant office as he grabbed Rebekka by the shoulders and shoved her against the bookshelf. "Tell me, dear wife, did you have to send my boy away to make my life even more miserable?! Was refusing to share my bed, or be allowed to share yours, not enough to punish me?!"_

 _"I don't know where he is!" Rebekka cried, tears running down her cheeks. "And even if I did, I would never tell you where he went!"_

 _Fury was in Cornelius's eyes as he struck Rebekka and allowed for her body to fall to the floor, breathing heavily._

 _"MOTHER!" came a girl's voice, as Eileen appeared from the doorway and rushed to her mother's side. However, before she could touch her, a hand came from behind and grabbed her hair, forcing her up. She whimpered in pain and met the eyes of her father, sending chills down her spine._

 _Anger rushed through Severus, wishing he could do anything to make it stop._

 _As Rebekka regained consciousness, her eyes widened with worry, forcing herself to get up off the floor._

 _"So, here's what's going to happen!" Cornelius yanked on Eileen's hair, making her cry out in pain. "If you don't tell me where Maximillian is, I'm going to find a suitable punishment for her! And trust me, you won't like what I have in mind!"_

 _"FATHER, DON'T!" came another voice._

 _Turning back towards the doorway, Helena rushed towards her family._

 _"Stop right there, young lady!" her father ordered, pointing directly at her._

 _Despite how much she didn't want to, she obeyed, only out of worry for her sister._

 _Turning back to his wife, Cornelius dragged Eileen closer to her, wanting her to see the pain her daughter was in._

 _The sight itself sent shivers down Severus's spine. Throughout his entire life, he had admired the Prince Dynasty and the pureblood belief that they, and so many other families, believed in. But now, he was horrified by what he was seeing. It was nothing like he imagined. There was no sense of happiness, honor, or respect in any of it. It all was completely against everything he believed was supposed to be right._

 _"I'm going to count to three, and I better have an answer to my son's whereabouts before I'm done. ONE!"_

 _"Cornelius, please!" Rebekka pleaded, tears flowing like a river from her eyes._

 _Eileen cried out as her father slightly tighten his grip on her hair. Sounds of lightning echoed through the house, warning of a coming storm from outside._

 _"I'd hate for our poor daughter to lose her 'innocence' if I gave permission for some education to be learned. TWO!"_

 _Severus's face was red with anger as he stared at his grandfather with disgust._

 _Rebekka stepped forward, fear deep within her eyes, "Cornelius... please... not my baby girl..."_

 _"Then tell me where Maximilian went!" Cornelius shouted, tightening his grip on Eileen's hair again, which caused her to scream in agony._

 _"I don't know where he is!"_

 _"I DO!" Helena declared, covering her face as she sobbed._

 _Turning towards her, he released his hold on Eileen, who immediately ran to her mother and embraced her._

 _Cornelius walked up to Helena, "Go on."_

 _Looking her father straight in the eye, she replied, "He ran away. Said something about Russia, possibly Moscow."_

 _Nodding, Cornelius walked past her, missing the glare she sent behind his back._

 _"Dory! Tibby!" he called out._

 _A second later, two small figures simultaneously appeared out of nowhere, bowing to him._

 _"Yes, Master Prince, sir?" the two house-elves asked at the same time._

 _"Dory, I need you to go to Clawlock and announce to him that my son, Maximilian Constantine Prince, is hereby disowned, until I lift it!"_

 _"Yes, Master Prince, sir!" Dora Apparated away._

 _"And as for you, Tibby!"_

 _"Yes, Master?"_

 _"I need you to go to the Auror Department in the Ministry of Magic and report to them I want my son found and brought to me. If the Aurors refuse to put out a search warrant, spread word to the bounty hunters that I am offering one million galleons for anyone to find him. Tell them to start searching Russia."_

 _"Yes, Master, sir! Tibby do what Master has requested, at once," Tibby stumbled a little before Apparating away to fulfil his duty._

 _Turning back to his wife and children, he marched forward and pointed towards his two daughters, "I don't know what made any of you think you could get away with helping Maximilian escape from me, but I promise you that you will receive punishment for it! As of now, I am officially moving up the scheduling of your arranged marriages to take place the day after Eileen graduates from Hogwarts this year! Also, you are hereby forbidden to leave the Manor, unless if I say so! It's time that you all learned your place in this family! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a son to find!"_

 _Once Cornelius left the room, Eileen broke down, falling to her knees as she began to sob uncontrollably._

 _The arms of her mother and sister embraced her._

 _"I... I can't..." she could barely speak from the crying, feeling her chest rising and falling with anxiety. "I can't... do this any longer... I'm sorry... but I... can't..."_

 _"Shh," her mother whispered, kissing the top of her head. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. It'll be okay."_

 _Helena looked at her mother in shock, "Are you serious, right now? There is no way you can stop father from making us go through with these marriages. He's more determined than ever to see to it that Eileen is married to Abraxas."_

 _"Then I won't try to stop him!" Rebekka exclaimed, her eyes going from sadness to determination within a split of a second._

 _Helena frowned._

 _"As long as you two are here, your father will always control you. I can't stop him, but I can help you both do the one thing that I should have done long ago."_

 _"And that is?" Helena raised her eyebrows._

 _"Run away!" she declared. "Like I just allowed Max to do."_

 _Both Helena and Eileen looked at her with big eyes, surprised._

 _"Really? You would actually tell us to do that?"_

 _"It's the only way. When I was still a Travers, before my marriage to Cornelius, I learned about my father's 'side-dealings' into the smuggling business. He once worked with a smuggler by the name of Hank Shaw. He recently passed away, but his son, Ian Shaw, continues the business now. I don't know him very well, but he will provide any service for the right price. If I can reach out to him, I can surely grant you two passage to anywhere in Europe. I'm sure he could set it all up within ten months. And if I could get money from the vaults, I can ensure that you won't have to worry about staying on the run."_

 _"Wait, mum!" Helena shock her head in disbelief. "This is insane! Smugglers?! Running away? You do realize that even if you can accomplish all of these things, we will be on the run from our father for years to come. And besides, what about you? Father will know that it was you who helped us."_

 _"It'll be a small price to pay," Rebekka started to brush Eileen's hair with her fingers, smiling at her children. "I won't let you make the same mistakes as I did. Just promise me that when things cool down that you will 'live'. Explore the world, date handsome young boys, fall in love, have children of your own, watch them grow. Just promise me, my children. Promise me that you will do the things that I never got to do."_

 _Helena and Eileen looked at each other, and nodded, earning a smile from their mother._

 _Rebekka and Helena helped Eileen back to her feet and out the door of the office, heading to her bed chambers._

 _"From here on out, act natural and let me handle everything. I'll set up a meeting with Shaw and gather money from the vaults over the course of the next few months. If we plan this carefully, we can outsmart your father and have you smuggled out of Britain in no time. But we will need to use the graduation as cover. Cornelius will be watching you and we need the next ten months to make him let his guard down."_

 _Once they reached Eileen's room, both Rebekka and Helena helped her into bed and covered her with blankets, watching as she drifted off to sleep._

* * *

 _"Are you all set?" Rebekka asked her daughters, moving down the hallways of Hogwarts._

 _Severus followed them from behind, very interested in what was happening now._

 _Helena nodded, carrying a small bag with her, while her arm was intertwined with Eileen's, who was shaking from fear._

 _"Good," Rebekka nodded back. "Shaw will be waiting at the port in London. He has arranged for you both to be smuggled to Paris. Once you dock, don't stop or even rest. Get out of Paris as fast as you can and find an inn at a local village. The small bag in your hands, Helena, has a spell that allows for limitless amount of items to be put in it. I've already taken the liberty of getting galleons from the vaults and converting it all into muggle money. You will be financially secured and allowed to travel with ease. However, you must stick to muggle related things, not wizard. I also added a few family artifacts that I took from the vault as well. Only sell them if you run out of money, and make sure not to get ripped-off. Also, Shaw wants me to tell you to never stay in one spot for more than two days. Always remember to stay traveling." She paused, drawing deep breathes. "The ship leaves at three in the afternoon, so make sure you remember the address of which port and dock to go to."_

 _"Yes, mother," Helena had a look of determination on her face._

 _"Oh, and Shaw had these forged for you," stopping, Rebekka handed them two passports and a series of paperwork. "I've check them myself to make sure that even the professionals can be fooled."_

 _Both sisters read what their new names on their passports._

 _"Michelle Rose? Really?" Helena raised an eyebrow at her mother. "Sounds a little too Mugglish. Hell, its not even original."_

 _"Watch your language, young lady! And second, that's the whole idea."_

 _"I like my name," Eileen smiled. "Karen Rose does have a nice ring to it."_

 _Rebekka smiled back. "This is so much harder than I imagined it would be. I don't want to let you both go..." She closed her eyes for a second, feeling the sting of her tears. "If you happen to run into your brother, tell him that I love him and miss him. Maybe one day... we will all see each other again."_

 _The sound of the bell being rung broke the moment, startling Rebekka as she blinked._

 _"Okay, everything's been set into motion. I trust that you've been practicing your Apparation, Helena?"_

 _"Yes, mother," without warning, she rushed forward and embraced her, followed by Eileen a second later. "Why can't you come with us? This is the best opportunity for you to escape father."_

 _Rebekka shook her head, "No, I can't go with you. If I don't go back to Cornelius, he'll immediately know something is wrong and all this planning would have been for nothing. Me being with him will buy you enough time to escape and gain a head-start. He'll most likely have me confined to the Manor after this. Even have my movements watched every second of the day and night from here on out."_

 _"Then come find us afterwards," Eileen's eyes grew with a hint of hope._

 _"No, he'll be able to track me back to you. If am to leave him, I will need to plan for an opportunity in the future. But it will be one that will take years to achieve. For right now, the best course of action is for me to remain with Cornelius, to try and keep him off your trail."_

 _Reluctantly, both of her daughters nodded._

 _"We'll miss you, mother," Eileen had tears falling down her cheeks._

 _"I'm going to miss you too. Oh god, I love you two so much," Rebekka wiped the tears from her daughter's face, touching each side of their cheeks, smiling sadly. "Now get going! We may have caught Cornelius off guard for right now, but he'll be suspicious when you, Helena, aren't with me when I return to him. I will make an excuse that you had to the use the ladies room. But the moment when the Headmaster calls for Eileen and she doesn't show, he'll definitely know something is wrong. So please be off the school grounds and on that ship before then. He will have everyone out looking for you both."_

 _Both sisters nodded and said their goodbyes._

 _"Goodbye, my children. Please be safe. And remember to 'live'."_

 _She watched as her two daughters walked down the hallway and disappeared outside, heading towards the Forbidden Forest._

 _Severus followed right behind them._

 _Even though he wanted to see how things would turn out for his grandmother, he knew that the memories only extended to his mother's surroundings. So he followed both Eileen and Helena to the forest, right before they reached the end of the security wards guarding Hogwarts and watched as the two sisters Apparated away._

* * *

 _Severus was on a beach, recognizing the location as the coast of Spain._

 _There were people in bathing suits all around, laying on the sand, playing volleyball, swimming out on the ocean, sitting in chairs while enjoying their drinks and snacks._

 _"Hey, Michelle, can you pass me the sunblock, please?" came a voice from behind him._

 _Turning around, he found both Eileen and Helena laying on towels, getting their skin tanned from the sun above. He looked away once he realized that they were both in very exposing bathing suits._

 _'Come on, mum,' he sighed. 'Out of all the memories you had to show me, this one doesn't feel like a 'must-show-to-my-son' one. What next, my birth?'_

 _He wondered why his mother added this one, especially when it seemed pointless. In the end, he decided to go along with it and see where it all was leading._

 _He listened as the two talked and looked at men who passed their way, giving each one a number of who ranked in terms of being 'hot', which he rolled his eyes at and mumbled 'idiots' under his breathe._

 _"Michelle, can we talk about something?" Eileen sat up, her eyes becoming serious._

 _"Yeah, sure," Helena rolled to her side._

 _"Do you think we're making a big mistake in living here?"_

 _"No, why?"_

 _"Well, I just get the feeling that someone might find us and expose our location to father. Mum did tell us to never spend more than two days in the same location. We've been here for an entire month now. I don't know, I just feel like we're getting sloppy. What if the reason we've stayed out of dad's reach was because we always kept the trail going?"_

 _"Karen," Helena sat up, taking her hand. "We've been on the run for years now. I highly doubt that anyone with that much dedication would search for us for that long, and I bet that the marriage arrangements father made have been ruined. I read somewhere in the Wizard paper that Abraxas married another highborn girl a few months after we went missing. Not to mention he also has a son now. Lucius, I think is his name. I also found out that the man I was betrothed to has married as well. And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from all this running. I think we're safe now."_

 _"But he can still make us marry others, if he finds us," Eileen pressed on._

 _"Keyword there, little sister... 'if' he finds us. Which, in case if you've forgotten, he's been unable to do. So stop worrying and have some fun," Helena grinned and laid back down on her stomach. "Besides, I've gotten used to guys checking me out."_

 _Severus rolled his eyes._

 _Suddenly, a volleyball fell on Helena's back, who immediately was on her feet and on alert. Eileen, startled, stood up as well, searching for where the ball came from. Both of them moved towards their bags, where their wands were hidden._

 _A second later, a man came running over._

 _"Hey, sorry about that," he apologized, picking up the ball. "Lost control of where I wanted it to go. You two okay?"_

 _Helena's eyes were glued to his firm, muscular chest, which was covered with sweat. She raised an eyebrow and silently sent a 'meow' towards Eileen, who rolled her eyes, despite that she herself couldn't help but enjoy the view as well._

 _"Um, yeah, we're okay, no harm done," Helena walked over to him and extended her hand. "Michelle, Michelle Rose. Pleasure to make your... 'acquaintance'."_

 _"Psss," Eileen whispered with worry in her voice. "What are you doing?"_

 _The man smiled and shook her hand, "William, William Connor."_

 _Like a lightning bolt, Severus felt like time itself stopped once he heard the name. His eyes widened at the realization. How couldn't he have seen it before? The entire time he had certain puzzle pieces all along and never tried to piece them together. He couldn't help but hit himself on the forehead for not figuring it out earlier._

 _"Why don't you two come join us," the man known as William offered. "Me and the guys were going to grab some drinks at the bar."_

 _Helena raised an eyebrow at Eileen and replied, "We'd love to."_

 _Leaving her no choice, Eileen followed from behind as the two began to talk._

 _As Severus watched them, he noticed William's friends, including one who resembled him._

 _The next few hours were spent at the bar, where Helena and William hit it off at the counter, sipping their drinks while telling stories and jokes._

 _Meanwhile, Eileen felt all alone as she sat right next to her sister. When she realized she was just a third wheel, she got up to leave and head back to their apartment. However, while on her way out, she accidently ran into a man, almost falling down, only to be caught by him before she could hit the ground._

 _"Whoa! Watch it!" the man teased, setting her back on her feet._

 _Blushing, she backed away from him, "So sorry, I didn't mean to... I'll just go now..."_

 _"Wait, how about I buy you a drink first?" the man offered, smiling. "I should have been watching where I was going. It's the least I can do."_

 _Severus's eyes widened as he recognized the man's voice._

 _"Um, sure," Eileen blushed again. "I'm..." she paused before answering. "... Eileen, Eileen Rose."_

 _"Well, Eileen," the man winked. "I'm Tobias, Tobias Snape."_

 _Severus growled in anger, his hands forming fists as he stared at the younger version of his father. He understood why his mother wished for him to see this, but he couldn't find it within him to watch this sequence, knowing how it would all end. He waited the memory out, before it finally came to an end._

 _As the sun was going down, both Eileen and Helena made their way home, smiling as they talked about the men they had just met and the plans that they had made to see them again._

* * *

 _Much to his dismay, he witnessed the dates that Eileen and Tobias, which thankfully were limited, as it turned out that Tobias was only there for a short vacation, since his home was back in Chokeworth, Britain. Before departing, they gave each other their mailing addresses, and corresponded through letters over the months._

 _As for Helena, or Michelle as she called herself, her relationship with William grew to the point of becoming very serious within the following months since the day they had met._

 _Eileen spoke her concerns about getting attached, fearing what would happen if their father found them. But Helena countered that maybe it was time that they started getting attached and start living, like they promised their mother._

 _As for her and Tobias, their relationship grew stronger with each letter that they sent each other, beginning to fall in love. Something that Severus couldn't help but shake his head at._

 _When a full year passed, William proposed to Helena and the two married within the following week, a small ceremony made up of Eileen and a few of William's friends, including the guy who strangely resembled him._

 _Unfortunately, that meant the end of the two sisters being together. Helena moved into a beach house on the coast with William, enjoying her new life as a married woman._

 _This left Eileen alone in their old apartment in the small city. It quickly became too much and she made a decision that even Severus called her stupid for..._

 _She decided to return to Britain and live with Tobias._

* * *

 _He witnessed everything._

 _From the dates, to the conversations, to the happiness. He saw it all, and it was annoying for him. There was a part of him that was happy that his mother was living the life that she should have been living. He was even surprised by how nice and gentleman-like Tobias was. He was respectful and a little charming at times. He even gave her the guest room to sleep in, never forcing anything on her. A while later, the two started to share the same bed when their relationship became more serious._

 _When the time came, Severus witnessed Tobias ask for his mother's hand in marriage, which made him wish he could somehow warn her to say no. But, much to his disappointment, Eileen accepted, finding a reason to secure herself from her father, if the day ever came when he found out she was back in Britain._

 _He saw the small ceremony of his parents' wedding, which was only attended by Helena and William. In order to keep their secret, she was forced to lie and say that they were old friends._

 _In the living room of the beach house in Spain, Severus watched as Eileen and Helena sat on the couch, deep in a conversation._

 _"We need to be smarter about your visits here," Helena said. "For now on, we need to start using untraceable portkeys to travel. I'm sure William will agree."_

 _"Right, sounds like a plan."_

 _Sitting down, Helena took her sister's hand into hers._

 _"I think it's long past time we tried searching for our brother again"_

 _Eileen was surprised by this, "But we've already tried before. He's made it impossible to track down his location."_

 _"But we didn't have William last time," she countered. "Last time we were on the run, with no real connections for this sort of thing. But now we do. I will bring William into this and see what he can find. With his help, he can find our brother and reunite the trio once more."_

 _"How can he help us track down Max? You never really explained to me what exactly it is that he does. In fact, I don't know much about him."_

 _Helena's face went pale, "It's... complicated. Which you and I are more than accustomed to."_

 _"But why all the secrecy?"_

 _"Because..." Helena sighed. "... Look, it's best this way. It isn't even my secret to tell. I promise you that when William is ready, we will tell you everything."_

 _Though wanting to protest, Eileen lowered her head and nodded, "Alright."_

* * *

 _As the memories progressed, Severus found himself still in the living room,this time with both William and Eileen, including the mysterious man who looked similar to William. Severus studied him over, trying to understand who he was and how he was involved in any of this._

 _A series of screams could be heard from upstairs, echoing off the walls._

 _Seeing a newspaper on the table, he read the date as January 9th of 1960. At reading the date, he frowned and turned towards his mother, trying to understand what was happening. He studied ever inch of her, including her stomach, as he tried to find any hint of a past pregnancy._

 _William was sitting at the edge of the couch, tapping his foot as he struggled to control himself. The sight made Eileen, the mysterious man and Severus amused at how nervous he was._

 _The female screams continued until they suddenly stopped, being replaced with a different sound... the cries of a newborn baby._

 _William jumped to his feet and began pacing around, making Eileen smile at him, while the man began to howl with laughter._

 _"Congratulations," she said. "You and Michelle are parents now."_

 _"Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! What the hell am I going to do?! How the hell am I going to get through this?!" he was on the verge of completely panicking._

 _"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, William," Eileen laughed. "Everything's going to be fine. You will make a great father, even Helena knows it."_

 _"But I do not have the slightest clue as to how to be a father," William sat back down, his hands covering both sides of his head. "I don't want to fail my child, especially her."_

 _"And you won't," Eileen reassured him by putting her hand on his shoulder, squeezing a little bit. "You've been the best thing to happen to my sister in such a long time. Even to this day she won't shut up about how great of a boyfriend and husband you are. And don't get me started about what she has to say about the sex."_

 _William chuckled, "Guilty as charged."_

 _The main raised an eyebrow at him, "And she isn't the only one to brag either."_

 _Eileen shot him a glare, "This is my sister's honor we're talking about, you know!"_

 _The man continued to smile, "And you're going to tell me she never had the same impression on a number of men before this guy here."_

 _Eileen opened her mouth to argue, but found none to be said._

 _An elderly midwife, dressed in a white uniform, appeared from the stairs, smiling._

 _"You can come up now," she announced. "They're ready."_

 _Hesitant at first, William, Eileen and the man made their way up the stairs and into one of the guest rooms. As Severus followed, he immediately remembered everything about the house from his dreams._

 _The thought made his stomach drop with dread._

 _Once entering the bedroom, they saw Helena in a bed, holding a bundle in her arms, smiling and whispering at the small baby. When she saw William, she gave him a teary but beautiful smile, and motioned for him come over._

 _"William, come meet our son. He's so beautiful."_

 _Tears started to run down William's face as he approached the bed and got a glimpse of the baby in his wife's arms, meeting the eyes of his son for the first time. Getting closer, he gently touched the side of his cheek, making him stir._

 _"Hey, little guy," he silently sobbed, wiping away the tears._

 _The couple continued to look at their newborn, crying tears of joy at the creation that they both made together._

 _He then turned to his wife, "I don't suppose you'll name him Michael."_

 _Helena raised an eyebrow and grinned, "Not a chance. Maybe the second child we have can be named Michael. But for now, it's my choice."_

 _"Oh, man!" the man moaned next to Eileen moaned, earning a smile from William and Helena sticking her tongue out at him._

 _"So, what is your choice?"_

 _Helena's smile grew as she looked at her newborn son, "Eric. Eric Connor."_

 _William nodded in agreement, "Eric it is."_

 _Eileen and the man smiled, tearfully, at the scene before them, watching as the couple kissed and continued to look at their newborn child._

 _Soon enough, both Eileen and the man got their chance to hold the newborn._

 _Suddenly, Helena began to whimper and moan, making the midwife rush forward._

 _"What's wrong?" William demanded._

 _The midwife's eyes widened, "Oh dear! Mister Connor, I may need your help in supporting your wife." Turning to Eileen and the man, she pointed towards the door, "Would both of you be so kind to take the child to the next room, please? I'll be along very shortly."_

 _Nodding, Eileen quickly exited the room, followed by the man as they heard Helena cry out in agonizing pain._

 _Severus tried to get a closer look, but was forced to exit the room as the memory drew to a close._

* * *

 _A shocking memory later, Severus was in the dinning room of the house, left completely shocked at what he had witnessed. As the next memory played out, a revealation dawned on him and began to sink in, making him become more shocked than before._

 _"So, did you find him?"_

 _Eileen, Helena and William sat at the dinner table of the dinning room, deep in conversation. Unknown to them, except for Severus, two small figures lingered in the darkness of the living room, watching._

 _William nodded, "It took a hell of a long time, but I believe that I did. Your brother appears to have done very well in keeping his whereabouts unknown. As far as I know, he's been in Europe, Africa, Australia, and most parts of Asia."_

 _"But where is he now?" Helena pressed, hating to wait for the answer._

 _"He's currently in America right now. More specifically, Salem. He's also apparently settled down with a wife and a little girl, teaching as a Potions Master at the school of Salem. And he's done well in the financial world too."_

 _Helena and Eileen's face lit up, smiling with delight._

 _"He's married Jessica!" they both squealed at the same time._

 _"Oh, I hope he took pictures," said Eileen, making Helena and Severus smile._

 _William shifted in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee, "I can arrange to contact him through my source. With your father out looking for you, we don't want to attrack unwanted att-"_

 _A noise interrupted him, making the three grown-ups turn towards its source as the memory came to an end.._

* * *

 _William came busting through the door of the house, panting as he fell to his knees. Blood fell from his side, making a small puddle to the side of him. In his arms he held a box of some sorts._

 _"William, what's wrong?" both Helena and Eileen rushed to his side, worried._

 _Looking into his wife's eyes, William shook his head in shame._

 _"I'm so sorry, Helena. I didn't mean for this to happen."_

 _The two sisters looked at each other with worry in their eyes before turning their attention back to William._

 _Getting onto her knees, Helena took her husband by both sides of his face and leveled him up to her eyes, "What happened, William?"_

 _"We've been betrayed. They'll be coming for me now."_

 _"Who? Our father?" asked Eileen._

 _William shook his head, "No. Worse than him. My contact has betrayed us. They know I'm here."_

 _"What do you mean your contact betrayed you?" Helena demanded. "Who are 'they'? What are you even talking about?"_

 _"I'll tell you everything, I promise. But for right now, we need to get into contact with your brother and get us to America. It's the only way I can to protect us from them."_

 _Although wanting to press the issue, Helena nodded and helped him up from the floor, with some help from Eileen._

* * *

 _"Why can't you tell me what it is that you and William have? In fact, what did he tell you about this... situation?" Eileen demanded from her sister. "I'm in this too, in case you've forgotten!"_

 _"It's better if you don't know. Half of it you wouldn't even believe," Helena tried reasoning with her as she packed her clothes into a suitcase. "I don't even know what William did with 'it', let alone what it actually is, but it's better that way for both of us. I'm sorry that we're forcing this on you, but you need to come with us for your own protection."_

 _"Tobias won't listen to me. I may have to tell him about us, but I fear how he'll react if I do."_

 _Helena rolled her eyes, "If Tobias can't handle that you're a witch, then he can find himself a new wife. And if it comes to that, you can find a proper man who can accept you for who you are."_

 _Eileen sighed, "I'll try to convince him tonight, but I don't like the idea of leaving him. He's been so good to me-"_

 _"For now, little sister. But I've been noticing his addiction towards alcohol getting worse. The way how he talks to you sounds more like a master speaking to his servant than a loving husband to his wife."_

 _"He's my first love-"_

 _"But he doesn't have to be the last." Helena stopped at the edge of the bed and sighed. "Eileen, I need you promise me something."_

 _"Anything."_

 _Turning to her sister, Helena walked forward and took her hands, looking deep into her eyes._

 _"I need you to promise me that you'll protect them. Whatever happens to us, I need to hear you promise that you'll keep them save."_

 _"Nothing bad is going to happen-"_

 _"You don't know that!"_

 _"Calm down, Michelle! We're going to be fine."_

 _"No, you don't understand! I need to hear you say the words! I need you to promise me!"_

 _"Okay, yes, I promise!"_

 _As the scene played out, he looked towards the door, knowing exactly who was listening on the other side now._

* * *

 _Eileen and Tobias were arguing in the kitchen of their house, something he was accustomed to seeing._

 _"Eileen, I'm not just giving up my life because you're sister is in trouble. Let them go into hiding on their own. In fact, why aren't they going to the authorities?"_

 _"Because the authorities can't help. Not for... people like 'us'."_

 _Tobias's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean... 'people like us'? Are you and your sister in some kind of trouble?"_

 _Eileen shook her head as she fought with herself, "Tobias... do you know about those... fairy tales? Witches? Wizards? Goblins? Dragons?"_

 _"Yeah... back when I was a child with stupid dreams. But what do they have to do with you and your sister?"_

 _"Because they're real! Me and my sister are witches, and I have a brother who is a wizard. There is a secret world within yours. We call your kind muggles, non-magical folk. The reason we can't go to the authorities, especially to ours, is because there are these... 'people' who are coming for us. And there's a possibility we can be in danger too."_

 _"Eileen, just... just stop... you're delusional. Witches? Wizards? None of that is real-"_

 _Eileen reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand, whispering a Levitating spell towards the plate on the table and began to move it into the air._

 _Tobias's eyes widened as he watched her, his face turning pale._

 _Moving the plate towards the sink, she carefully sent it into the water and allowed for it to sink to the bottom._

 _Turning her attention back to her husband, she waited for a reaction. Each second feeling like an eternity._

 _"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It was for the protection of not just you or me, but for my sister as well."_

 _Tobias began to back away, hitting the refrigerator._

 _"I... need to leave... Wherever you plan to go..." He grabbed a beer from the frig and drank the whole thing within seconds. "... Just go without me..."_

 _He quickly walked right passed Eileen, heading out the door as it slammed shut behind him._

 _Tears fell from Eileen's eyes as she backed up against the wall and slid to the floor._

* * *

 _Later that night, Eileen made her way to a secret hideout of wizard criminals in London, paying them for an order of untraceable Portkeys._

 _Unknown to her, a cloaked man watched her from afar._

 _Using one of the Portkeys, she traveled to her sister's home in Spain._

 _"Eileen, thank goodness you're here," Helena embraced her as she entered the front door. "I just talked with William. He's already gotten everything ready for us. By tomorrow night, we'll be long gone. Did you convince Tobias to come?"_

 _Eileen shook her head as she teared up._

 _Helena nodded, sadly, "His loss. How about you sleep here tonight."_

 _Eileen smiled as she stared at the floor, "I think that's a good idea. Let me get my things and meet you back here."_

 _"Hey," Helena lifted her chin up. "It's going to be alright. New place to live, new husband to look for, new life. We'll get to see our brother again. The trio reunites once more!"_

 _"I can't wait. And as I bonus, I get a brand-new sister and niece. All that would be missing is our mother."_

 _"And we'll find a way to include her too. But for now, lets just take what we can gain for right now."_

 _Eileen nodded as exited the house and used another Portkey to travel back to her home. Once there she got everything prepared and was about to leave until she met her husband at the door. The two shared a silent look before going their separate ways._

* * *

 _Severus was then outside, in the darkness of the grassy fields, the only light being the burning house on the hillside in the distance. He heard a popping sound and turned to find Eileen, who dropped her suitcase at the sight before her._

 _Putting on her cloak, she ran for the house, her eyes full of worry and terror._

 _Severus had to run in order to keep up with her, admiring her bravery as she made her way into the burning house and into the living room. She stopped at the sight of the dead bodies, anxiety taking over._

 _Hearing the sound of children crying, she managed to regain herself and ran towards the source. Upon arriving around the corner, she saw a group of dark hooded figures and watched as the form of her sister disappeared into a cloud of dust, with her killer remaining where she once was. In front of them all, William's eyes widened with rage and lounged himself towards them, slicing through each of them at a time._

 _Tears threatened to break through her eyes as she grabbed the two small figures below her, rushing to get out of the house as the flaming building came crashing down._

* * *

 _Severus watched as Eileen used her wand to erase Eric's memory, tears flowing down her cheeks as she did._

* * *

 _In another sequence, he saw Eileen deep in conversation with a man in the hallway of her house on Spinner's End, whose face was hidden in the shadows of the night. Upon seeing the man's face, Severus realized his identity and began to understand what was happening._

* * *

 _He was in the kitchen, watching as Eileen led a young version of him from the living room to one of the chairs of the kitchen table._

 _"Severus," Eileen looked him in the eye, tightening her grip on her wand. "Do you remember these names? Michelle? William? Michael?" She paused before asking the last. "Eric?"_

 _Little Severus shook his head and replied, "No. Should I?"_

 _Eileen sighed and put her wand in one of her pockets, "No, sweetheart, I was just wondering. How about some pancakes for dinner?"_

 _"Yes, please," little Severus smiled, excited._

* * *

 _The two of them were then walking down the side-walk together, getting weird looks from neighbors as they carried groceries._

 _"Hello, Eileen," an elderly woman greeted her from her porch. Looking towards the little boy, she frowned. "Who is this?"_

 _Eileen's face went pale as she looked at Severus, holding back the tears as she forced the words out of her mouth, "This... is my son... Severus Snape."_

 _The elderly woman narrowed her eyes as she studied the boy over, "I didn't know you and her husband had a child."_

 _"Oh, well... he's been in a... special hospital... for treatment. The doctors recently released him."_

 _"Funny how you and your husband never mentioned him before."_

 _Eileen hesitated, her heart racing as she tried to think up a reply, "We never talked about him because of how hard it's been." Turning to Severus, she smiled and took his hand. "Well, we better get going. See you later, Mrs. Doris."_

* * *

 _Eileen waited at the desk of the St. Mungo's Hospital building, tapping her fingernails as she waited._

 _A woman appeared, handing over a series of papers._

 _"Thank you so much for this, Cora."_

 _The woman nodded and smiled, "Anything for old friends. But I must ask, why so secretive about this? You could have registered him just as easily through the Ministry."_

 _Eileen sighed, "I'm sorry, Cora. I won't lie when I say that this is highly illegal, but I can't explain the purpose. Just know that it's just to protect him."_

 _Cora's expression became serious, "Then it's good enough for me. Take care, Eileen. And please come back to visit."_

 _"I'll be around. Thank you once again."_

 _She turned to leave, reading the certificate of one, Severus Tobias Snape, before putting it inside her small bag._

* * *

 _"Everything is in order, Mrs. Snape. Your son has been registered and his family connection to the Prince Dynasty have been noted. But I must remind you that your disowning also effects him too."_

 _Eileen nodded towards goblin behind the desk, "I understand the rules of one's disowning, but I would like for... my son to at least have a chance to be instated as a member of the Prince line, if it were to become possible."_

 _"There's a possibility for him to become an official Prince, but only if the Lord of the Prince Dynasty allows for it. Unless if something were to happen that would make it possible and fall under the rules, he is only a Snape for now."_

 _"Have you tried contacting my f-" she paused. "-the Lord Prince's financial goblin? To see if I can meet with him?"_

 _The goblin shook his head, "I tried, but he only replied that the Lord Prince had forbidden him from talking to you or any of your siblings."_

 _"I understand," she stood up and bowed. "Thank you for your time."_

 _"My pleasure, Mrs. Snape."_

* * *

 _"I will not have that child living here in this household, Eileen! He isn't even ours!"_

 _"He's my nephew, and I will keep my promise to my sister! I won't send him away!"_

 _Tobias took a drink from his beer and replied, "Then I will! I won't have some... freak of nature eating the food I bring to the table and live under this roof. One of you is more than enough. I'm taking him to an orphanage in the morning. With or without you."_

 _Grabbing another beer, he returned to the couch in the living room, turning on the tv._

 _Sighing, Eileen reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand, moving silently behind her husband as he watched a basketball game on the television._

* * *

 _As everything played out before him, he began to regain his state of mind and immediately started to process everything once again, reconnecting all the dots. The dreams, William, Michelle, Eileen, William, Michael, Eric, the Prince family, the burning house, him... They all came together, with every piece of the puzzle fitting together to create a picture._

 _But there was still two final pieces of the puzzle that remained a mystery... 'What was it that Michelle and William had that got them killed?' 'And who were the mysterious people who murdered them?'_

 _Just when Severus thought it was all over, he found himself witnessing one last memory._

 _He was standing in Eileen's former bathroom of the cursed house he hated so much, watching Eileen as she stood before the mirror. Confused as to why this memory was added in, his question was answered the moment Eileen started talking._

 _"Severus," she choked, tears building behind her eyes._

 _His heart stopped the moment he heard his name, caught off guard._

 _"If you're witnessing this, then that means you've seen everything that I've needed to show you." The tears were in freefall now. "I'm so sorry, Severus. For everything. I should have been a better mother. I should have put a stop to Tobias's abusiveness towards you and me... but I was weak. I realize now that I've allowed my emotions to blind me from seeing the truth, that Tobias doesn't love me anymore. I've become what my brother warned me about so long ago..."_

 _Severus held firm, not wanting to let his emotions loose at the moment, especially after everything he had just saw._

 _"You are everything I've always wanted to be, Severus. Strong, brave, intelligent - the main qualities of the Prince family gift. But as you saw from the memories, our family has abused those gifts in attempts to seek power and wealth. I didn't show you the memories of my father for sympathy, but to show you the flaws of the pureblood society and the so-called Death Eaters who wish to bring it to life. I've known about your admiration of the Dark Arts for some time now."_

 _Severus felt regret in his heart, wishing he could show the woman who raised him that he had renounced from it, including the pureblood society._

 _Eileen smiled, almost as if she knew he was there, and the sight nearly broke him, having never seen her smile in so many years._

 _"But I know you will make the right decision now. Please be better than we were, Severus. Break the chain that has restrained my family and I for so many years. The same restraints that kept us from ever finding happiness. If anyone can do it, it's you. I know it! I have faith in you!"_

 _Eileen stopped, taking a moment before she continued._

 _"And I think it's time I found happiness as well. When you get back, we'll talk about Tobias and what should be done with him. I'll follow your lead and be there to support you, as I should have since the day you came into my life. I understand if you're mad at me for erasing your memories of... who you once were. Who you are supposed to be. I know it was wrong of me. Just please understand that I did it for your own protection._

 _"My sister and William discovered something that endangered their own lives, and now they're dead because of it. I may not know what it was or who wanted it so badly, but I knew that I had to ensure that you were protected from it and to keep the promise I made to my sister. I never left Chokeworth because of that exact reason. Maybe I betrayed you by doing exactly that, and if I did, I... I just... I hope that you can forgive me one day."_

 _She paused, closing her eyes as the tears made her face wet. "Just know that I will always love you, Severus. No matter who you are or what you may think of me, you are my son. Please know that."_

 _A few seconds of silence passed as Severus finally let loose and allowed the tears to fall, knowing that this was his mother's final message to him. After this, there would be nothing more of her, except for these memories of her life. There was a part of him that was angry at her for keeping such a secret from him, but another part of him couldn't remain angry at her for long. He understood and accepted her reasons, knowing that everything she did was to protect him. How much he wanted to thank her and hug her, only to come to the realization that he would never get that chance again._

 _Walking in front of Eileen, he tried to touch her cheek, only for his fingers to go through her face like smoke. Tears continued to rain from his eyes as he closed them and tried to kiss the top of Eileen's head, not caring if it wasn't real. When he opened his eyes again, he tried to smile at her, despite how much it hurt to do so._

 _"I love you too... 'mum'... and..." He was barely managing to remain in control of himself. "... I forgive you."_

 _Everything started to disappear in a cloud of smoke and the same bright light from before came forward and engulfed him, catching one final glimpse of Eileen before he was released from the Pensieve._

* * *

Raising his head from the Pensieve, Severus felt his legs give and fell back against the floor, breathing heavily from everything that he had just witnessed from Eileen's memories. For a couple of hours, he cried and wrapped himself into a ball, not caring how childish it was. He allowed for the darkness to over take him, welcoming the cold and loneliness that he had come to see as old friends.

As he laid there, letting his mind process everything. He began to think about the terrible life that Eileen, the woman who raised him, was forced to live. The terrible father she was forced to acknowledge as family and run away from. He saw so many similarities between him and her, realizing that they were two sides of the same coin. Within seconds, his sadness and heartbreak changed to anger and determination. All the pain that he, Eileen, Helena, Maximillian and even William endured was because of the very same thing that he spent half of his life admiring and studying about.

 _The pureblood society!_

All of it traced back to it. The Death Eaters, Voldemort, the royal families. He saw nothing but flaws in what some believed to be perfect. It was all a lie and he fell for it. But even worse, it ruined the lives of those in his family.

Getting back up from the ground, he looked at the Pensieve and made a vow to himself that he would find the truth to what led to that night of the fire. That he would discover the secret to what Helena and William discovered, including who killed them to get it. But most importantly, he vowed to avenge them. Including Eileen. He was no longer the poor, sad Severus Snape anymore.

He was now Severus Alexander Prince, Lord of the Prince Dynasty.

Along with unlimited resources and wealth, he had the skills to do what he needed to do. But he needed training from someone who could prepare him for the road ahead. If he was to change his life, he couldn't do it in Britain. Already there was too much pain and tragedy to heal from. He knew that he needed to disappear, to vanish from the world he knew and start again somewhere else.

But question was where?

Turning his attention to the bed, he walked over and picked up the two letters from the Rome and Salem schools.

Before, he had no idea which one he was going to choose. But after everything that he saw in the memories, he knew exactly where he must go to begin his new life. The same place the dreams and memories have been pointing towards this while time.

He threw one of the letters down and held the other in his hand.

 _The Salem Wizarding Academy!_

* * *

 **Whew! That took a lot longer to write than I previously thought it would. For those of you wondering why I updated so early. Well, I thought you guys deserved to get this one early. You did wait nearly five weeks for an update of the last chapter, so I figured why not give you another chapter you've been waiting quite a while to read, right now.**

 **Also, I apologize if this doesn't live up to your expectations. I actually rewrote this a couple of times, just to make sure I got everything right as I want it to be. But I apologize if it doesn't live up to the hype.**

 **I once again apologize for any grammar errors or problems with my writing. I will try to go back and correct what I can.**

 **Oh, and just to clear something up, a lot of you have been asking if this is going to be a Severus/Lily story. Well, I'm here to officially say, 'it isn't'. Or at least, not right now. You see, I don't know if I want to see a Severus and Lily romance in this story. It's just a redemption story about Severus trying to find his way. But who knows, maybe it will turn into a Sev/Lily romance down the road. Or maybe it won't. I will say that there will be a romance in the future, but not right now. I want to focus on certain areas and develop some of the new characters that I have coming up here soon.**

 **But I have a feeling that a romance will happen for Severus, but I only want to do it if it feels natural and is in service to the story.**

 **I apologize for not responding to certain reviewers of my story. I know I said I would for this chapter, but there is so many to look at and I'm really tired right now. Like, 'I can't think up anything else to say' tired. So I'll just say thank you to everyone for leaving such great reviews of my stories.**

 **You guys are definitely the best part of writing these stories. So, thank you guys so much.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this! See you in chapter twelve! ;)**


	12. Crashwell's Tale

**Redemption**

* * *

 **I** **know I've broken my promise of never making you guys wait a very long time for another chapter ever again, but I ended up running into more problems with the story and I needed to figure them out before I could continue. Its very important to me that I know what the story is and that I am 100% in agreement with myself that I want to go in the direction that it needs to go.**

 **For now on, I'm going to try and keep these chapters just under 7,000 or 5,000 words. Doing large chapters are exhausting, especially with the editing. Maybe there will be exceptions, but I just thought I would let you guys know.**

 **Also, thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. It means a lot to me.**

 **And the usual disclaimer: "I own nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros., and whoever also has a right to the series.**

 **Here's Chapter Twelve! Enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve:**

 **Crashwell's Tale**

* * *

Clawlock sat in his office as he waited for his morning appointment with Severus Prince, wondering if the young lord had made a decision on which school he was going to attend.

Since the moment he first met Severus, Clawlock had his doubts about the newly appointed _Lord of the Prince Dynasty._ It was as clear as day that the young wizard was _troubled_ , both emotionally and physically. Just first impressions alone told him that there was no need for the details, his story was easy to figure out. Throughout his life as a goblin employer of the Gringotts Bank, he had seen all kinds of wizards and witches come through those doors. So reading Severus Snape, now known as Severus Prince, was like reading an open book.

But after nearly a week of meeting with the Lord Prince, Clawlock no longer just saw that troubled wizard within him anymore. While it was still there, he saw a harden, lost soul, looking for a purpose in life. He had vision, he had experience, and he had knowledge that no other wizard of his age would ever know. In a good way, he reminded him of Cornelius Prince.

While Severus wasn't as cruel, stoic, manipulative, or cold as the now-deceased Lord Prince was, he clearly inherited his intelligence, quick-wit, resourcefulness, unfettered attitude and hunger for knowledge. If the last few days taught him anything about the new lord, it was that Severus had the _Prince gift_. A gift that the Malfoys had envied for years, hence the reason for the long-lasted rivalry between the two dynasties.

No one ever liked Cornelius when he was alive. The man never smiled or allowed for his emotions to be known, at least not in public. He was all about his family's name and legacy, working hard to make sure that it would remain standing for centuries to come.

But all of that nearly became his undoing when his children ran away. First Maximillian, then both Helena and Eileen almost a year later. Everyone wondered what happened to the Prince children after they vanished from the face of the Earth. It was widely known that Cornelius had put a lot of investment into the marriage arrangement of his daughter, Eileen Prince, and the Malfoy heir, Abraxas. The marriage would have marked the end to the rivalry between the two houses for good. Something that Cornelius himself wanted to happen.

There had been rumors that the arrangement involved something more than just marriage of the two heirs. Something that Abraxas's father, Septimus Malfoy II, wanted badly from Cornelius.

Even to this day, it amazed Clawlock how the Prince Dynasty managed to survive, not to mention still thrive, after the untimely death of Cornelius Prince. He may not have been well liked, but he was respected for the businessman that he was. Even the Malfoys had an unspoken respect for the man's intelligence, with the exception of Abraxas.

While the loss of his children severely hurt the future of the house, what he had built remained strong to this day. Waiting for its master to come and claim it.

And now its master had come, in the form of _Severus Alexander Prince._

The sound of the doorknob clicking caught Clawlock's attention, lifting his head to see Severus Prince walk on into the office. The goblin who had guided him in shut the door to leave them in peace.

"Ah, Mister Prince," Clawlock motioned towards one of the chairs in front of him with his hand, slightly leaning up. "I trust that you've come to a decision of which school you wish to enroll for your final two years."

Severus nodded and reached into his side pocket of his robes, holding a couple of envelopes as he sat them down on the desk, his hand still on them.

"I have," he replied, keeping his voice firm. Though awake, his eyes betrayed a hint of need for sleep, as if he had stayed up the whole night before.

While watching the young lord, Clawlock realized that there was something different in his voice and presence. The moment their eyes met, he immediately saw it. The young man who was lost, distracted and confused was now confident and had a clear of mind. It was almost as if he had found something that gave him purpose, something that he could follow without a single shred of doubt.

"I've chosen the _Salem Wizarding Academy_ as the school I'll be attending. I've signed the necessary paperwork that came along with the acceptance letter. I'll personally deliver the acceptance letter to the Director of the school myself. As for Rome, I've written a letter back to thank them for accepting me into their school. Though they'll probably be not so pleased with my answer, I hope my thanks in the form of this letter will be enough. Please make sure it get to them."

Clawlock nodded in reply, taking the envelope that Severus slid to him. While he didn't say it out loud, he respected the young lord's decision to acknowledge the Rome Institution, becoming more convinced that he was indeed a true _Prince_ , one that potentially could be better than Cornelius ever was.

"And I need you to do something else for me."

"Anything for you, Mister Prince. That's why I'm here."

"I need for you to open a vault account for a Miss Angelina Ivory. I trust you know who the Ivory Family is?"

Clawlock nodded, "I'm well aware of the family. Although I am curious as to why you're opening a vault account for Miss Ivory, considering that her family is wealthy."

"Just returning a favor," he decided not to reveal anything else to him. "Have a hundred thousand galleons transferred from one of my vaults to the one for Miss Ivory, and make sure that only she is aware of the account."

"Shall I inform her of the identity to who opened the vault account?"

Severus nodded and handed over another envelope, "Inside is a personal letter addressed directly to her. Do not owl it off until I've left the country."

Once Clawlock took the envelope and placing it alongside the other two, Severus took the final two envelopes and handed them over.

"Also, I would like to donate one hundred thousand galleons to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Scholarship Fund. A letter for the Headmaster has been prepared in the envelope.

"And finally, I need for another one hundred thousand galleons to be placed into a new vault account for a Muggle family known as the Evans. Inside the envelope is their address and instructions to split the money among all four family members, which would amount to twenty-five thousand galleons for each of them. If they wish to convert the galleons into muggle currency, they may. But they are not to know that the money from the _Prince Dynasty_."

Clawlock nodded, taking the two envelopes from him.

"The second envelope in your hands is addressed to one of the Evans family members, but you are to owl that one off separately a week before Hogwarts begins its next school year. Unlike the other letter, this one will have my identity revealed completely to this individual, under my former name.

"And one last thing, by the time the new school year begins, there will be... _some_ people looking for my whereabouts, at least for who I used to be. I need to ensure that my new identity and my plans for Salem are kept under wraps from the public. Especially when it comes to the Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore."

"I live to serve the Prince Dynasty," Clawlock declared, stacking the envelopes up the order they were given. "Your new position and status is under the _Sealed Act of Secrets._ So only a handful of people at the Ministry know and are under wizarding law to keep your secret."

"Thank you," Severus stood from the chair, straightening his robes. "Just a heads up, I plan on leaving for America tomorrow night. But even though I will be attending school there, I will be making regular visits here at Gringotts, for financial purposes of course. I will also be taking up residency in the Prince Mansion." He paused. "I need to make preparations and... _find answers._ "

Clawlock raised an eyebrow at his final words, sensing a meaning behind them.

"Who still resides at the Prince Manor?"

"Only the two house-elves, Dory and Tibby, and also the main caretaker, Vincent Crashwell. They take care of everything around the Manor."

"How long have they been in service to the Prince family?"

"For the elves, about sixty years. For Mr. Crashwell, almost all of his life."

Severus nodded and bowed, "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Clawlock. You're indeed a true friend. Oh, and before I forget.." He reached into his robes again and took out a piece of parchment, handing it over to him. "... I need for you to locate this person for me. His last known location is also on the paper, but the information is ten years out-of-date, and I need you to confirm his current whereabouts."

Taking the parchment, Clawlock unfolded it and read what was on it, nodding, "I'll get right on it."

"Thank you, Clawlock. Contact me the moment you've learned anything, I'll have one of elves at the manor be waiting by the fireplace of my family home. But I once again inform you that I intend to leave for America tomorrow night, it's time that I finally begin my new life. So you'll have to message me through owling if you can't deliver on the information by then."

"No worries, Mr. Prince. You can count on me."

Without another word, Severus walked towards the doors of the office and exited the room.

* * *

For Lily Evans, the life of being a witch had its pros and cons. For one, the wizarding world was full of amazing possibilities and was perhaps the best thing to ever happen to her. But on the other hand, it wasn't something she couldn't share with anyone outside of her family. Whenever she was gone for the school years, it was the same old lie that she was attending a boarding school that she was offered to go to and that no visitors were allowed, other than family.

While on her way back to her family home from a slumber party with one of her childhood friends, Lily thought about the lies that she had to tell in order to keep her secret. It was the only thing about being a witch she hated the most, _the lying_. But even she knew it was to protect her kind from the prejudice and hatred of the muggle world. She even has her estranged relationship with her sister to be proof of that.

Lily's heart sank at the memory of when it all first started. The two had a healthy relationship as sisters during childhood, until the day Lily did _accidental magic_ in front of her family. Ever since then, Petunia drifted apart from her, first the cold silence and then the naming calling. A part of her continued to wonder how it all came to this, and how it would affect them in the future.

Her thoughts drifted off to Severus and felt a mix of emotions within her, conflicted over how she was supposed to feel. She was still angry, but also sad as well.

While lost in thought, she realized where she was and stepped off the sidewalk that led to her house, walking through the park and arrived under a tree, the place where she and Severus spent their days together. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she sat down, her back against the trunk of the tree and under the shade of the long branches, and silently began crying to herself.

Despite everything that had happened between her and Severus, deep down, she wanted him back. There was a part of her that wanted to forgive him on the train, even take him back as her friend. But she feared that it was all a hoax, that he was only trying to win her back because he was hurting for the moment. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to see him feel what she felt, but she felt regret in it all. She wanted everything to go back to normal and just be friend with him again.

But she doubt that was even possible now, they both had changed and chosen their paths in life. She had to face the fact that there was no going back, and that the only was to move on... was to move forward.

Wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, she got up from the ground and restarted her journey home. As she passed Severus's house, she couldn't help but notice an _empty_ presence when looking at the home of her former best friend. There was a part of her that wanted to go knock on the door and see if he was alright, but she quickly pushed those feelings aside and turned away.

Not once looking back as she left the house behind.

* * *

Severus Apparated in front of the gates of the Prince Manor, taking in his surroundings as he turned to face the dark manor beyond the black bars of the magical gates in front of him. The whole place looked grim and gritty from afar, which didn't surprise him. Especially after experiencing the memories of his mother. He knew there were secrets behind the doors of his family home, secrets that would forever dwell in the walls of the manor itself.

Willing himself, Severus made sure he had his family ring and pendant necklace with him as he used his Gringotts golden key to open the large black gates, stepping on through the wards that guarded his family home. As he walked to the front entrance, he entered the manor and was suddenly greeted by a series of lights once the large doors closed behind him.

Floating, magical candles lit the entire marble foyer around Severus, allowing him to see two separate staircases on opposite ends of a hallway, leading up to a second floor.

Almost immediately, two figured popped out of nowhere, right in front of Severus.

" _Master Prince_!"

" _Master Prince_!"

Two house-elves cried with delight and happiness at the same time, bowing down before Severus, who only looked on with surprise and awe. Almost immediately he recognized them.

"Tibby? Dory?"

The two house-elves cried with delight again, their tears making a small puddle on the concrete floor. They continued to bow on their knees, afraid to look up.

"Master knows us!" the two exclaimed. "Master knows us! Master knows us!"

Severus didn't know what to do. He knew about house-elves from his former Slytherin housemates, but he never experienced knowing what having one would be like. He had a feeling that the emotional outburst and the third-person talking was going to get annoying real fast.

"Master Prince has come! Tibby knew Master would return! Tibby always knew!"

"Dory too knew! Dory and Tibby knew Master would return!"

 _Definitely annoying,_ Severus rolled his eyes.

"Apologizes, milord," came a distant, rumbly voice. "Servants Tibby and Dory have been waiting for the last ten years for their new master to arrive. After the deaths of Lord Cornelius and Lady Rebekka, they have been wondering who would take lordship of the manor."

Both Tibby and Dory began to cry again, using their clothes to dry their tears at the mention of Lady Rebekka.

Severus looked towards the dark hallway of where the voice came from, wondering who was speaking to him. Almost immediately, at the command of his thoughts, the hallway lit up and an old man was revealed, walking towards him, using a cane to balance himself.

The old man nodded towards him and announced himself, "I'm Vincent Crashwell, the Caretaker of Prince Manor. You've already met House-elves Tibby and Dory."

"Master knows us!" the two whispered to each other again.

Severus nodded and turned his attention to the elves, "Rise."

Obeying their master, they looked up towards him, awaiting their orders.

The Caretaker, Crashwell, made his way towards Severus, looking grim as he studied the new lord over. Whether or not he was pleased, he didn't show it.

"We've tried to keep the manor in decent shape for your arrival, but as you can see... we're a bit understaffed."

Severus nodded, "You've done well, from the looks like. For now, I'd like a tour of my new home."

Crashwell and the two elves bowed, and moved to the side.

As Severus began to walk down the hallway, Crashwell and the elves followed from behind. Fearing he was too fast, Severus slowed to a pace so the old man could keep up.

"Are there any problems I should know about?" he asked.

"None, milord," Crashwell responded. "The magic has kept the place from falling apart and helped keep the manor clean and presentable, although we haven't had any visitors since the day Lady Rebekka passed."

Both Tibby and Dory sniffled at the mention of Rebekka again.

Through the entire morning and part of the afternoon, Severus got his tour of the manor, which proved to be much bigger than he ever experienced before. There were so many rooms that it could house an entire army. There were three kitchens, four dinning rooms, two main offices, a garden, three fireplaces, hundreds of acres of land, a large lake, a basement, five main floors, a game room, and way too many bedrooms to count. Even for Severus, it was way too much to go over within a day, but he went over the important details that needed to be gone over.

While talking with Crashwell, Severus admired the old man, who he guessed had to be in his seventies or eighties. Even the two house-elves weren't that bad, once they stopped talking and whimpering.

The conversation soon led to one of the offices, where Severus took his seat at the large desk, asking for Crashwell and the elves to sit as well. The gesture made both Tibby and Dory cry, expressing how great of a wizard and master Severus was. The act made Severus roll his eyes again, but made sure they didn't see it, not wanting to hurt their feelings.

Once everything that there was to talk about was taken care of, Severus immediately got straight to the point and made sure his plans for the next few years down the line was made aware to his servants.

"I understand that you are excited to have a new master," Severus heard the elves squeal with happiness. "But I won't be staying here at the Manor all the time, as I will be attending an overseas school for the next two years. Though I will visit and spend the night, just know I'll mostly be over in America."

The elves sighed in disappointment, trying to make sure their master didn't hear them.

"However, I'm also giving you all the option to leave."

Crashwell's eyes widened in surprise, while the two house-elves nearly popped their own out in shock.

"Master Prince, sir... you can't," Tibby shook with fear.

"Where will... we... go...?" Dory sobbed.

Severus felt for them, but kept firmed and continued, "I know about the kind of man my grandfather was. I know he wasn't a good man, a good father, a good husband, or a good master to either of you. So, I'm allowing you a chance that he never gave any of you. _To leave!_ There is no reason to serve the Prince family anymore. Its pretty much gone."

"But _you're_ here now," Crashwell countered. "Through you the Prince Dynasty can rise again."

"But I'm not looking to pursue the legacy that my grandfather wanted," Severus folded his hands. "I will continue to build the Prince wealth and influence, but only to help me in my goals. As of right now, the pureblood beliefs are no longer part of this dynasty. Its a new age and I plan to embrace it. But what I plan to do in the future will put me and others with me at grave risk."

"Master, what do you mean?" Tibby asked, concerned for her master's wellbeing.

"I won't go into details, but I've recently learned of a conspiracy that my family has been involved in for a very long time, and I plan on discovering what that conspiracy is. That's why I'm giving you this option to walk away and live your lives freely. I will set up a new life for all three of you, if you so choose to leave the service of this house. I will give you money and a home anywhere in the world. Anything to protect and make your lives easier. From my point of view, you've all more than earned it. But I must warn you, whether if you choose to leave or stay, you will keep what I've just told you a secret from anyone. Outside of this room, you will tell no one of my plans." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I plan on leaving for America tomorrow night, so I need an answer before I leave."

"Tibby lives to serve Master Prince!" Tibby declared. "Tibby will be here to help Master on his conquest!"

"Dory too!" the other elf clapped. "Dory will stay to serve Master!"

Severus turned towards Crashwell, who nodded in agreement with the elves and declared, "I live to serve the Prince dynasty. Until the day I die, I will not abandon the vow I made a long time ago."

While Severus thought it was a mistake for all of them to remain in his service, he couldn't deny them what they wanted and instead resolved to allow them to continue to take care of the manor.

"Alright, then you all shall continue to watch and take care of the Prince Manor, while I am away in America. If I ever shall be in need of your help, I will contact you."

The house-elves clapped and squealed with excitement, happy that their master was allowing them to stay.

"But I will be leaving tomorrow tonight, just to remind you." As he stood up from his seat, he immediately remembered something. "Tibby, Dory! I need both of you to keep an eye out for a Floo call from a Mr. Clawlock. He might be calling soon."

Both the elves nodded and said at the same time, "Yes, Master Prince, sir!", and Disaparated from sight.

Crashwell smiled and replied, "You get used to it after a while." Using his cane to stand up, he made his way to the door before stopping, turning around to face Severus, who had sat back down in his chair. "If you don't mind, milord, I would like to speak to you about something."

"Please, call me..." he stopped, wondering just what to allow his subjects to him for now on. He finally came to a decision and said, "... Severus."

"Well, _Severus_ , I have something to say that might interest you."

Severus narrowed his eyes, wondering what the old man meant by his words, and gestured towards the chair.

Once Crashwell sat down again, he looked Severus in the eyes and said, "I think I may have something that may help you about this... _'conspiracy'_ of yours."

Severus's face betrayed no emotion, despite he felt his heart begin to beat faster.

"Go on."

"Ten years ago, just days before Lord Cornelius suffered his..." he stopped, almost like he was suppressing a hidden truth, "... _stroke_ , I overheard a meeting between him and one of his rivals. I don't know what the conversation was about, but I remember that Lord Cornelius was... _desperate_."

Severus felt his heart race, wondering who was the man Cornelius was meeting with, but he motioned for Crashwell to continue with his tale.

"My memory isn't what it used to be, but I remember Lord Cornelius discussing something very important with his greatest rival. The rival revealed to him that he had discovered the location of his daughter, Helena. He made a deal with Cornelius to deliver Helena and any children she would have to him, in exchange for something very valuable that he possessed."

Severus felt his body slightly begin to shake from the revelation, but he managed to get himself under control. He was beginning to wonder just how much more to the story of the _'night of the fire_ ' there actually was. Now it seemed that Cornelius was involved as well.

"Lord Cornelius greed to the proposal, but he only wanted any children of Helena to be delivered to him. As for Helena... he gave permission for his own daughter to be killed, including her husband as well. As a way to ensure no one came for the children."

Severus nodded, rubbing his chin, "What happened afterwards?"

Crashwell shrugged, "I didn't hear anything else after that, but I did deliver my warning to Lady Rebekka. I knew I couldn't interfere against the man I served, at least... not _directly._ I had hoped that if Lady Rebekka knew, Lord Cornelius would call off the murder of his own child..."

He began to tear up, closing his eyes as he remembered the painful memory.

Severus sadly nodded.

Once he was about to speak again, he continued, "I watched from afar as Lady Rebekka confronted her husband and demanded that he tell her the location of her daughter. And in all my years of serving the Prince family, I had never seen such an argument play out as the one I witnessed. She was determined to save her own flesh and blood, even promising to find a way to give him more children."

He paused as the tears came like a river.

"I still remember the sound of her screams echoing down the hallways. I still remember her face as she pleaded to him not to kill their daughter. But Lord Cornelius ignored her, even striking her down when she cursed him. He had her confined to own bedchambers."

Severus closed his eyes, having seen one of those moments in his mother's memories.

"That night, Lord Cornelius came home with a terrified expression on his face, refusing to address his own wife. I don't know what exactly happened before hand, but I remember those eyes being so full of fear. Even when he finally spoke to Lady Rebekka, he only told her that _'it was all for nothing'_. It was then that I knew that Helena was dead, and that the deal he had made with her killer had backfired against him. But the moment he said those words, Lady Rebekka let out the most haunting scream I had ever heard in my life. I will never forget the description of what it sounded like, nor the broken soul within her eyes when I carried her to her room."

He paused again, struggling to control the tears. His entire face was red and broken.

"And ever since that night, she wouldn't eat nor sleep for a long time," his hearing came back to him as he listened to the tale again. "I had never seen her in such a state. And not long after that, she had this... _look_... I can't explain it, but I remember the way she looked at Lord Cornelius the days that followed. It was almost like as if something snapped within her. And then, one day..."

Severus closed his eyes, having an idea on where he was going with this.

The look in Crashwell's eyes went from shame to anger within seconds, "I watched as she put something in Lord Cornelius's drink one afternoon. I saw it happen right in front of me, even though she didn't notice that I had seen what she had done. A part of me knew exactly what it was, but I didn't care. All my life, in service to this family, I stood by and watched as that... _monster..._ tortured his own wife and children. So, I did exactly that... I stood by and watched as Lord Cornelius drank his lemon tea. Never once raising a finger to warn him of what Lady Rebekka did. Only hours later, I found Lord Cornelius dead _,_ from a stroke."

A single tear fell from Severus's eye, remembering what Clawlock had said about his grandmother once before. Realizing now that he was right, that Rebekka did die of heartbreak. But not because of sending her children away, but because she had failed to save her daughter, even though she was within reach of her, after so many years of being apart. The very thought made his stone-cold heart crack.

Crashwell nodded in reply, the tears slowly declining.

Remembering the details that Clawlock gave him over a week ago, he connected the dots, including the timeline of events, and knew that Crashwell was telling the truth. He now had pieces of the puzzle connected together.

Cornelius never died by natural circumstances. He died by the hand of his own wife, for allowing the murder of Helena to happen that _'night of the fire_ _'_. Their own daughter.

The dark hooded figures from his dreams were connected to this, including the rival of Cornelius. But why would the deal fall apart between them?

Right away, Severus had his answer as to the why.

 _'Because the dark hooded figures never got what Helena had, so they screwed Cornelius over'._

Because of them never getting what they wanted, the deal was done for. And in the process, Cornelius's hope for a true heir to his dynasty.

Coming out of his trance, he held firm and expressed no emotion from hearing the story, "What happened after Cornelius's death?"

"Everyone believed that he had died of natural causes," Crashwell explained. "Whatever Lady Rebekka used, it left no traces and did its job perfectly."

He sighed to himself.

"After Lord Cornelius died, Lady Rebekka spent most of her time in her master bedroom, never leaving the bed where she bore her children," Crashwell closed his eyes, feeling the tears build as he tried to contain them. "Even now I regret never once having done anything to help that poor family. Cornelius was an evil man, in every possible meaning of the word. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would have made sure that the entire family had escaped the clutches of that dreadful man."

Severus nodded in agreement, having seen enough in Eileen's memories to know the feeling.

As Crashwell took his leave and made his way to the door, Severus stopped him and asked the one question that had been bothering him about Crashwell's story, "Do you know who the rival was? The man Cornelius was talking to?"

Frozen in place, hand on the door knob, Crashwell turned to look at the young Prince and said the one name that sent shivers down Severus's spine.

 _"Abraxas Malfoy_."

The very mention of the name made Severus flinch, his mind going into overdrive as he began to connect the dots once again. Time felt like it had stopped as he began to breathe heavily.

Noticing the change his Lord's behavior, Crashwell continued, his voice full of concern for the young man, "I may not know everything about the events that had happened ten years ago, nor what you plan to do with this information, milord. But I highly warn you to never underestimate Abraxas Malfoy. Even though others had feared Septimus Malfoy II, only Lord Cornelius himself held his confidence in front of him."

Severus looked back into his eyes, holding firm.

"But Abraxas was... _different._ It wasn't surprising that Lord Cornelius wanted to end his feud with the Malfoys. Even his own father before him had tried to form a truce as well. But the moment Abraxas took over the family dynasty after his father's death, everything changed. There may have been a time when I believed Lord Cornelius was immune to fear. But Abraxas changed that. Never in my life had I seen such fear in the man. It increased his desire and desperation to end his rivalry with the Malfoys. The very mention of the his name put the fear right into Cornelius, as if he was truly the devil in his eyes. And knowing Cornelius, that's saying a lot."

He gave Severus a look that told him to _tread carefully_.

"I only ask of you to be careful in what ever you plan to do with this information. You are the last of the Prince Dynasty and I want to see it rise again through you."

 _I wouldn't necessarily call myself the 'last',_ Severus thought to himself.

Taking his leave, Crashwell left the room, the sound of the door closing echoing off the walls.

Sitting in the large seat, Severus let the silence of the room settle around him as he lost himself in his thoughts. He felt like such an idiot for not seeing the hints in his mother's memories before. The clues were all there and he never put the pieces together, not until one of his own servants told him part of the story that he never could have gotten from his mother's memories.

If one thing was for certain, it was that Severus needed to up his game and prepare himself for the road ahead. If this Abraxas Malfoy was everything that Cornelius feared him to be, then he needed to be ready when the _truth_ was revealed.

* * *

 **Dun! Dun! Dun! Plot twist revealed!**

 **Okay, maybe not a good plot twist, but now we know who the villain of the story is. Figured it was time to put a name behind who was responsible for the attack on Michelle (aka Helena Prince) and William on the ' _night of the fire'_ in Severus's dreams. Gotta keep the story interesting.**

 **Like I said, I'm going to try and keep these chapters short, because doing long chapters take time and lots of editing.**

 **As for those waiting for Severus to begin his new life, don't worry, he will. The reason its taking a while is because I'm still setting up the plot and also tying up the necessary loose ends before beginning Severus's next chapter in his life.**

 **For those wondering who the person Severus is having Clawlock look into, all I'm going to say is that he's going to play a part in future chapters of the story. So he will be important.**

 **Message to "Good Idea": _'Okay, yes, I was careful when writing chapter 7, because it does have a lot of exposition involving Severus's parentage and also a few backstories involving his family. I do go back and make changes when I have to, but a lot of it was carefully laid out to help further future chapters. In speaking of Petunia and the Evans family, I wanted to portray a more human side to them. No offense to Rowling, but she made Petunia feel way too cartoony in the main books. And whenever I read about Lily's parents in other stories, they feel way too perfect and... kinda boring. I wanted to show that they can be fun and have flaws, but are still good people in the end.'_**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": _'Glad you enjoyed the memories, I'm just happy that the chapter paid off. As to answer your question, I will not be introducing anyone from William's side of the family. In fact, I'll just say it here, William's mother and father are dead, so we won't be seeing anyone from William's side of the family.'_**

 **Message to "SwishAndFlick24": _'Thank you for the awesome reviews and I'm glad that you're a fan of 'A Rising Prince' too (love that story). I'm happy that you're enjoying the story so far.'_**

 **Message to "Sierra", "Rook of Eight", "Guest", "risi", "hghpbbfangirl", "Paladium", & "Just a lazy dude": _'Hey guys, thank you so much the encouraging reviews. They've really been a big help in getting this story made. You all rock!"_  
**

 **Well, I'm out of here! Hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. I will come back and make corrections later. But for now, I need to rest. See you guys later. ;)**


	13. For Better or For Worse

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Alright, so I figured you guys deserved to get another chapter as early as possible. And since I'm going to be doing short chapters (or at least try to make 'em short), I figured it would be an easy task to get this one out as early as I could.**

 **I apologize for any grammar mistakes of any sorts. I'm not the best writer/editor in the house. I only consider myself just barely above avenge as a writer. But hey, I love writing and its my passion to write stories.**

 **Thanks again for the awesome reviews guys. It really does mean a lot to me.** **.**

 **Disclaimer (as usual): I don't anything from Harry Potter, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.**

 **Enjoy chapter thirteen! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen:**

 **For Better or For Worse**

* * *

Throughout the rest of the day, the only thing Severus could think about was the huge revelation that Crashwell dropped on him. He could handle learning that his grandfather had ordered the death of his own daughter, he could handle that his grandmother killed man she was forced to marry, he could even handle that the conspiracy involving his family went deeper than he previously imagined.

But learning that _Abraxas Malfoy_ , the father of Lucius Malfoy and former finance to Eileen, the woman who raised him, was the reason for every single misdeed and hardship in family's life... that was something else entirely. It went beyond just Helen's death on the _'night of the fire'_. Now he was realizing that it stretched all the way back to the day when his mother, Eileen, was engaged to marry Abraxas, maybe even before that.

Which raised the question what exactly did the Prince family have that the Malfoys wanted so desperately? Whatever it was, Severus understood that it was enough to cause the Malfoy's to arrange a marriage with their biggest enemy, and even murder Helena Prince, all in order to get what they wanted. And surprisingly, Cornelius was willing to use the opportunity to form a truce, in exchange for the one thing that the Malfoys wanted.

But realizing this only brought up more questions that remained unanswered. If the Prince family had what the Malfoy's wanted, then how did Helena and William come into possession of it? And where did the mysterious item rest now, if the Malfoys and their _associates_ had failed to retrieve it that _'night of the fire'_? One way or another, Severus was going to find the truth himself and learn just what it was that ruined his family.

As for what to do about Abraxas Malfoy, Severus found himself wondering what the best course of action was to be taken concerning the man. There was a part of him that wanted to see him pay for what he did that night, but he couldn't go to the Aurors. Doing so would expose himself to the Malfoys and reveal himself as an enemy. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, the Prince Dynasty was a dead royal family, with no heirs or future.

If he was to go to war with the Malfoys and somehow bring them down, he needed to do it with the element of surprise on his side. He needed to be an enemy they didn't know exists. But he also needed training, someone to train him in ways that the Wizarding World couldn't. He needed help, his own network, his own army. He already had the influence, the wealth, the intelligence, and a new path to follow.

But it wasn't going to be easy. The Malfoys were now in league with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his network of Death Eaters, so they had the backing of the government, the public and the criminal underworld. While it was all rumor, Severus was fully aware of the truth, having once been involved with the group of Slytherins who wanted to be part of the Death Eaters. As for Abraxas himself, he was ever bit like his father before him, which meant that he was a man to be taken seriously.

There was a reason Cornelius wanted to end his family's rivalry with the Malfoys. It wasn't because of a simple competition or some ancient hatred of the other dynasty, it was because of Abraxas's father, Septimus Malfoy II. While Severus never met the man, he heard enough stories to know that he was much worse than Cornelius himself, which came as a big surprise to him when really thought about it.

Septimus Malfoy II wasn't just all about family or legacy, he was obsessed with power and fear. If there was someone who could rival anyone in the pure blood beliefs, he was definitely the one who took the win. In fact, he saw the Princes as his greatest enemy and vowed to destroy them. Hence the reason for why Cornelius wanted to end his family's rivalry and protect his legacy. And shockingly enough, it seemed that Septimus was willing to grant Cornelius an end to it, with a price of course.

What Severus had a hard time understanding was what exactly Septimus wanted from Cornelius to begin with. An arranged marriage couldn't be it, nor anything that came with that marriage. Whatever he wanted so bad from the Princes, it was enough to make him agree to a truce. And now it was Abraxas Malfoy who continued where his father left off.

Severus knew more about Abraxas than he did of Septimus. During his first year at Hogwarts, he spent some time with Lucius and his little gang of Death Eaters that he led. He never spoke about his family, other than how important and great they were, but there was one time when someone talked about his father, complimenting about how great of a pure blood wizard he was.

While no one else saw it, Severus did. Throughout his whole life, there was one emotion above all else that he could recognize anywhere. And what he saw in Lucius's eyes, whenever his father's name was mentioned, wasn't flattery or pride... it was _fear._

Remembering Crashwell's words from before, he now understood why.

If a man like Cornelius could handle someone like Septimus Malfoy with confidence, but yet fear Abraxas Malfoy, then it was a big sign that he should fear him too.

But in order to handle the situation at hand, Severus needed time, patience and training in order to prepare himself. He couldn't fully move on with his life just yet, not until the very people who caused his family so much pain were brought down to their knees. If it was ever discovered that he was now the Lord Prince and that he had been there on the _'night of the fire'_ , Abraxas and his people would come for him, just like they did with Helena and William. There was no hiding from this, he needed to prepare himself for the coming war with the Malfoys. He would need a _network_ of his own to fight them when the time came.

And luckily for him, he knew exactly where to start.

After spending an hour of hiring new servants to help Crashwell, Tibby and Dory manage the Prince Manor while he was away in America, Severus made his way to the docks of London, searching for the one man he knew would be of use to him.

Entering the large shipping building complex, he approached the manager's office, entering once he knew the man he needed to see was alone.

"Sorry, I'm a little busy right now," the man behind the desk rudely growled.

Severus only smiled, using a dark cloak to hide his face and a spell to disguise his voice.

"But I'm not here to do... _legal_ business," he replied.

The man looked up and his expression changed from annoyed to worry, recognizing him as a wizard.

"Who are you?" he demanded, reach into one of his drawers.

Realizing what he was doing, Severus took his wand and silently casted a spell towards him. The man had reached for a wand, but was met with surprise as the spell Severus sent his way knocked it out of his hand.

"No need for that," Severus approached him, carrying a small bag in the hand opposite of the one holding his wand. "If the Ministry were to learn that an expelled, outcast like yourself was carrying an unlicensed wand, they would most certainly send you to Azkaban, Mr. Shaw."

The man known as Ian Shaw studied the mysterious person over, not surprised he knew his name.

"You're obviously not an Auror or any other Ministry official," he continued to observe. "Are you a Death Eater? I've already told you that I don't deal with your kind."

"I assure you, Mr. Shaw, I am no Death Eater or some official from the Ministry," he stopped just a few feet from the desk. "I'm here to hire you."

Shaw raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."

Taking the bag in his hand, Severus tossed it on the desk, still keeping his wand steady.

Shaw looked at the bag and hesitantly picked it up, reaching inside to feel a series of golden galleons. His eyes widened at the feel of them, understanding that if converted to muggle currency, it would mean thousands for him. Looking back at the stranger, he took his seat again, putting the bag to the side.

"Now, tell me, why would someone like you want to do business with me?" he asked.

"Because you're someone outside of the Wizarding World," Severus answered. "You smuggle things and sell them to anyone who is willing to pay, both muggle and wizard products. That means there is no way to trace where the product came from, and it so happens that I'm in the market for someone like you."

"Why?"

"Because I need wands, spell books, transportation, muggle weapons, muggle medicine, anything to help keep my operations under the radar of the Ministry and those outside of it. You have smuggled almost everything from all over Europe and America-"

"Not everything," Shaw interrupted. "I don't smuggle human beings or high profile _products_ , unless if they're asking to be transported out of the country. Keeping a low profile is how I have been able to stay in business this long."

"And I need you to continue to do so. I won't interfere with your business, you can continue to take jobs and work for anyone, with the exception of the Death Eaters and the Malfoys."

Shaw's eyes narrowed, confused, "The Death Eaters I can understand and agree with, but why the Malfoys?"

"Because they happen to be my rivals," Severus answered, making his point. "When I call on you to do something, I expect you to deliver. I know that you have people on your payroll, including those inland."

"Oh, trust me, I have way more people in lots of different departments under my payroll," Shaw half-smiled. "Trunk drivers, pilots, ship captains, including those who do business between the muggle and wizarding world."

"Which is exactly why I'm need you on my payroll," Severus lowered his wand. "The amount in the bag is more than you make in a year, and I will pay you that amount every month. All I need from you is your loyalty and your word that you will provide when I need you to, including that you won't do business with the Malfoys or the Death Eaters."

Shaw chuckled, "You'd be a fool to trust someone like me. In this line of business, people backstab all the time."

"Then I highly suggest that you don't," Severus warned. "Because if you betray me in any way, I will expose your operations to the Ministry and personally kill you myself." Severus hoped Shaw would most definitely believe the last part, even though he had never killed a person before.

Staring at the cloaked figure, Shaw nodded and stood up, offering his hand.

"In that case, I promise to serve you for as long as you may need me," he smiled.

Although hesitant, Severus shook his hand, keeping his wand close.

"On the same day next month, and the next following months after that, you will continue to receive payment for your services. The money will be Apparated to your office, whenever you are alone. Also, I will be in contact whenever I have need of you."

With that said and out of the way, Severus left the office and Apparated, relieved that his first employment of Ian Shaw, the same person who helped his mother and sister escape from their father, went better than he thought it would.

* * *

For almost the remainder of the day, Severus paid a series of visits to all sorts of different people throughout London. Having spent the previous night investigating possible _clients_ for the network he was building, he narrowed his search to a few short people on his list. Although he still had a long way to go, he was confident that he could start off in the right direction.

Knowing it would be almost impossible to bribe anyone in the Ministry of Magic, unless if it was under the Imperius Curse, Severus decided to stick to focusing on outside establishments, some legal and some illegal. There would be time to infiltrate the Ministry later. Even though he still used the same method he used with Shaw, his next few attempts ended with failure, but ended up getting lucky with a certain few.

He managed to successfully bribe a private wizarding estate, which its cover was just a regular estate in the muggle world. The woman in charge of the business was quick to accept his bribe, since the place was in need of financial support. Because of this, he was able to gain control to tons of wizard estates all around England and Scotland. He charged the woman to find the best suitable houses in remote areas, ones that people wouldn't notice, and erase their existence from any records.

Next, he gained the employment of a private wizard investigation company, who could provide information of special cases all over Britain and also investigate anything or anyone he had in mind.

And last, Severus paid a visit to a small group of criminal wizards and witches who specialize in creating untraceable Portkeys and Floo networks. At first they were not so trusting of the unknown wizard, but instead choose to listen to him once he gave their leader a small bag of galleons to just talk. It was the promise of future payment whenever he needed their expertise that won over their employment to his cause. Thanks to this, he now could create Floo networks whenever he wanted, without the Ministry knowing about it.

Before leaving them, he requested for a Portkey to be made, one that would transport him to Salem in America, undetected. It amazed him how quickly they got it done, proving that they were a great investment for his network.

As it was nearing the end of the day, Severus was more than ready to finally leave Britain behind and start his new life in America. Even though he would be returning to continue building his network and to handle his family dynasty, he knew that deep down he was taking a big step in leaving everything he ever knew behind.

He used one of the Portkeys on his pendant necklace to be transported back to the Prince Manor, where he said his goodbyes to Crashwell and the two house-elves, giving them permission to use the manor for whatever they wanted, as long as they didn't burn it down. He had a feeling he would probably being needing the place in the future.

Just as he was about to Apparate back to his room at the Leaky Cauldron, the house-elf Tibby ran up to him.

"Master Prince, sir, the goblin known as Clawlock Flooed the house, sir, and asked for you."

Severus nodded in reply and dismissed him, changing his destination to the Gringotts Bank as he Diapparated away.

* * *

Clawlock waited in his office, expecting Severus Prince to arrive at any moment. Usually he was gone by that hour, but he choose to make an exception for this one. After talking with his sources over in America, he had managed to locate the person Mr. Prince had asked of him to. At first, Clawlock was worried the search for the man would take a while, but ended up surprised a few hours after he had arranged a search for the man.

The door to the office opened and Severus appeared, his expression giving nothing away.

 _Just like a true Prince,_ Clawlock smiled to himself.

"Ah, Mr. Prince, I was hoping you would stop by."

"Did you discover the location of the person I asked you to find?" he approached the goblin's desk, his heart racing.

Clawlock nodded and got up from his chair, picking up his folded suit and also a small file, walking around the desk as he handed his client the file in his hand.

Severus immediately had the file opened and looked at a series of moving pictures and a piece of parchment, which had an address and other information of the person it was about.

"So the man's location is still in Salem?" he asked, surprised.

Clawlock nodded and replied, "It seems he never left Salem in the last ten years. My sources have discovered that he has a wife and two children, a boy and a girl."

"Have you discovered anything else?"

"Only that he is a successful Potions teacher at the Salem school, and very rich. There was a limited time window, so my sources didn't have the time to learn anything else. You only wanted to know where he currently was."

Severus nodded in appreciation and shook Clawlock's hand, "Yes, thank you, Clawlock! You've made things much easier for me. I trust that you know what to do once I'm out of the country tonight?"

"Yes, Mr. Prince, I'm well aware of what I'm supposed to do. You just worry about your education from now on. I wish you the best of luck in Salem."

"Before I go," Severus pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it over to Clawlock, "I need a monthly payment to be paid to these four addresses. The number of galleons for each place is to be Apparated inside a bag on this date, every month."

Clawlock nodded and put the parchment in his side-pocket, "I'll make sure these are taken care of in the morning."

Severus nodded back and walked towards the doors of the office, "Thank you once again, Mr. Clawlock. I wish you great fortune."

"As to you, Mr. Prince."

* * *

Arriving back at the Leaky Cauldron, Severus packed everything that he had and prepared himself, taking one last look at the room as he reached for a small silver cup on the bed, the Portkey that Severus's _new friends_ created to transport him to Salem, Massachusetts' of the United States. There was a part of him that wondered if they screwed him over and that he was end up in the middle of nowhere, or some place dangerous. But in the end, he convinced himself that they wouldn't risk killing the hand that was feeding them now.

The moment he touched it, he was transported from the room and felt himself flying up through the air as the Leaky Cauldron disappeared and he was suddenly spinning through the air. After a long while, he finally found himself approaching solid ground and prepared himself, his feet landing on the concrete sidewalk as he did a little run and came to a stop, dropping the silver cup, which dissolved the moment it hit the ground.

Taking in his surroundings, he realized that he had arrived at the outskirts of the Salem Academy school of the United States. Where it was getting dark in London at the moment, the sun was still high in the sky where he currently was. It would take some time to getting used to the time-zone changes.

Tired from the long-day he had, Severus decided it would be best to rent a room at a local wizarding inn.

Seeing a group of Salem school witches, he approached them and asked, "Um, excuse me, I was hoping you could point me in the right direction of the nearest wizard inn."

The moment the girls turned their attention towards him, they began to blush and giggle.

Confused, Severus didn't know what to make of their behavior towards him. But then he remembered the makeover he went through a while back and realized that they were admiring his new look. It felt so weird and awkward to have girls paying so much attention towards him, since he never got this kind of attention back at Hogwarts.

One of the girls slightly shook her head and replied, "Ahem, sorry, what was your question again?"

Severus raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes, "Um, I asked if any of you know where the nearest wizard inn is?"

The same girl was distracted by his facial figures and the sound of his voice before she finally answered his question, "Um, yes, its just on the other side of the school. They keep the wizarding shops and inns close by for visitors."

Severus bowed to them, once again making them giggle, which he rolled his eyes to. Figuring it was time to leave, Severus said, "I'll be on my way then. Thank you for your help."

"Please don't go," he heard one of them whisper, almost missing it.

Immediately turning away, he began to walk down pathway, hearing the same girls giggle and begin whispering about him.

 _"Did you see how hot he was?"_

 _"His voice... Oh my god, I think I died and went to heaven the moment I heard it..."_

 _"Do you think he's going to school here?"_

 _"Screw if he's a student, I want to know if he's single or not..."_

When he got far enough away and out of sight, he began to jog, passing tons of students along the way, getting the attention of a few girls who smiled and/or blushed as he passed them by. Once he arrived the first wizarding inn he saw, he went on inside and paid for a room for a couple of nights.

The moment Severus was inside his room number, he dropped his bag and threw himself on the bed, allowing himself to drift to sleep. In the morning, he would have a lot to do, but for now, he needed to rest.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop the dreams that have haunted him from entering his mind.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was happy that the summer holidays had began, as it was the only time Hogwarts was at its most peaceful. But if someone were to ask him, he would most definitely say that Chrismtas was his favorite holiday of the year. As it represented the end of a long year and the beginning of the new.

Sitting in his office, Dumbledore wasn't in a happy mood. He was being pressured by the Ministry of Magic to get involved with the growing threat of Voldemort and his group known as the Death Eaters. And while he had every intention of going after the new Dark Lord, he planned on doing it on his own terms. He already had plans of creating a new organization to face the threat at hand, but had very little time to find members these days.

Putting these thoughts aside, he prepared himself for an interview with a former French teacher, who was arriving in the next few minutes to discuss teaching at Hogwarts. Even Hogwarts had more than enough teachers, Dumbledore was more than willing to hire new staff members.

The moment the door to his office opened, Dumbledore stood up and walked around his desk to greet the guest, Professor Janet Woods.

"Welcome, Professor Woods," Dumbledore nodded, folding his hands behind his back. "Please, come take a seat."

Professor Woods smiled in reply and walked to one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk, taking a seat. Meanwhile, Dumbledore walked back around and sat in the master chair, getting comfortable for the interview.

"Well, I've reviewed your past work at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and I believe you're more than well suited to become a staff member of Hogwarts. However, I must sadly tell you that the Potions position isn't available. As of right now, only the Divination and the Apparition positions are available for next year."

Professor Woods silently sighed to herself and replied, "Well, I am interested in the Divination position. One of my distant relatives was a seer, so I can find some expertise in that area."

"Excellent," Dumbledore clapped his hands together, smiling. "But I don't want to force you into a position you don't want, Professor. I'm sure I can find a more suitable position if you'd like."

"Oh, no, Headmaster, I'm fine with Divination," Professor Woods smiled. "I have some experience, its just that I so rarely get any visions. In fact, I don't even remember th-"

Suddenly, Professor Woods stopped talking and her face became expressionless, forced into a prophetic trance. She remained silent for a few seconds before she started to speak again, except she sounded like a hundred different voices were speaking from her mouth all at once.

 _"The prophecy has changed. No longer will it be the destiny of the 'Boy-Who-Lived' to determine the fate of the world, but the destiny of the 'Half-Blood Prince'. Secrets of the past have been, and will be revealed, and soon a great war between Ones of Pure and Ghosts of Red will battle to determine the fate of two worlds. The last of an ancient Dynasty will unite against their greatest enemy. An Enemy, more dangerous than the 'Dark Lord' himself, that has affected their lives long before they were born. And from the ashes of their war, for better or for worse, a new era will rise!"_

Left speechless, Dumbledore tried to gather himself as he tried to process what he had just heard.

"-em after they happen. And- Headmaster, are you alright? You look ill."

Dumbledore blinked and replied, "No, I'm alright, dear. Can you reply what you just said, please?"

Confused, Professor Woods shrugged and repeated her words, " _I don't even remember them after they happen_. Are you sure you're okay?"

Dumbledore was awestruck that she couldn't remember the words she had spoken. But he figured it was part of the side-effect to being a descendant of a seer, as they never seem to remember exactly the prophecy they tell about. He forced himself to push the matter for the side at the moment, not wanting to frighten the Professor at the moment.

"Yes, my dear, I'm alright," he stood up from his desk. "Lets take a walk to the Divination classroom and see if you are truly up for taking the position."

Through the rest of the interview, Dumbledore couldn't stop thinking about the prophecy he had just heard. If he heard it correctly, then the prophecy wasn't the first one. It was a new one, most likely a reaction to a change in the timeline. Whoever the _'Boy-Who-Lived'_ was, they no longer had any part in the war against the Dark Lord. But now it was in the hands of someone known as the _'Half-Blood Prince'._

Still very much confused by what the prophecy meant for the future and the words that represented that unknown future, the one thing that Dumbledore knew for sure was that there was a war coming and that it would change the course of their world, whether it would be for better or for worse. He could only hope it would be for the better.

* * *

 **Alright, so we finally have Severus getting on over to the United States. Yeah, I figured it was about time we moved the story along as well. We have been waiting thirteen chapters to see Severs begin his new life and now the time has finally come.**

 **Oh, and what did you think of the touch I added at the end involving the new prophecy? I apologize for not making it rhyme, but I seriously suck at rhyming words and sentences.**

 **Also, I think some of you may have noticed this, but I'm starting to take some inspiration from the hit tv-series ' _The Blacklist_ '. I thought it would be fun to see a world like that in the form of the Wizarding World.**

 **Message to "PiffyEQ": _'I'm happy my story is entertaining you. Also, to answer your question, I don't know if I'll be doing a Sev/Lily romance or not. I only want to do it if it makes sense to. Which, right now, doesn't seem to be the best option right now. My best guess is that Severus will most likely gain a new love interest and move on from Lily. But that could change, who knows. I hope you get better.' ;)_**

 **Message to "Good Idea": _'I won't say anything here about what it was that Abraxas Malfoy and 'the dark hooded figures' want so badly, because its part of the mystery in this story. If you go back and read Chapter 11, you will find hints in the memories from Eileen. But anyway, I'm happy that you are enjoying the story. Thank you for the reviews.' :)_**

 **Well, I'm going to bed (like right after I'm done writing this, because I am tired). See you guys in the next chapter! :)**


	14. A New Beginning

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Okay, first off, I am so, so, so, so, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOOOOOOOOO, SOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I know it's been over two months since I last updated and this is probably my hundredth time of breaking my promise of updating every week or two. I can't promise it won't happen again, but I can promise that I am not abandoning this fan fic. I will see it to the end. And that is a promise! ;)**

 **Anyway, there are a few explanations as to why I haven't updated in a long while. One, I'm lazy (yes, it's true, I know its a shock ;)). Second, I had to revisit the story again and make some changed, even rewriting a few chapters (some parts, but nothing too big). Third, I wanted to see how I could improve a new story elements and future characters, because I want this to be as satisfying as it can be. And fourth, I've been busy watching and reading Game of Thrones. ;)**

 **Oh, if you guys are wondering how to imagine Severus with his new look and all, I'm using the image of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes as inspiration (look up some photos, I think you'll be able to see why I choose that image for Severus in this story.**

 **Okay, so enough of my author's notes! Enjoy chapter fourteen!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen:**

 **A New Beginning**

* * *

Even after witnessing his mother's memories, the nightmares that haunted him continued to torture him in his dreams. He had hoped they would go away with time, or that knowing the truth would make them easier to bear. But they instead only got worse. Just knowing the whole story to his family's past filled his heart and mind with fear of the unknown future.

Turning and moaning in his sleep, Severus's hands gripped the sides of the blankets, sweat covering his entire body and staining the bedsheets. Different voices and images appeared before him as he struggled to sleep.

 _"We have to hand it over!"_

 _"We've seen what this... 'thing' can do, and we're marked for it."_

 _"It's a secret. Mommy and daddy told me not to tell anyone..."_

 _"WHERE IS 'IT_ _'?!"_

 _"And what does Lord Septimus Malfoy II get from this marriage arrangement, exactly?"_

 _"If anything happens to me or William, I need you to promise me that you will make sure my son will be safe and to do exactly as we've asked."_

 _"Your brother is at Salem, he'll be able to protect us-"_

 _"Abraxas Malfoy!"_

 _"_ _Abraxas Malfoy!"_

 _"_ _Abraxas Malfoy!"_

Severus almost threw off the bed as he woke from his dream, leaning up as he breathed heavily. Closing his eyes, he brought his _Occlumency_ walls into action and calmed himself down, lowing himself back onto the wet sheets beneath him. Looking out of the window, he realized that the sun was beginning to rise in the distance, a little glimpse of light in the darkness.

He smacked himself with the palm of his hand, upset that he had slept for so long. But he pushed those feelings aside and got up off the bed as he made his way to the bathroom. Undressing, he took a long shower, allowing for the hot water to run over his head and shoulders, hands pressed up against the wall.

He lost himself in his thoughts, analyzing everything that had happened and the decisions he had made.

Even with so many thoughts going through his head, Severus couldn't help but smile. He had done what he long believed was impossible for him to do. No longer was he bound to Hogwarts, Britain, Spinner's End or his family home. Everything that represented his old life had been left behind. At the moment, he didn't care if he was wrong to feel happy about leaving the British Wizarding World in the dust, he wanted to own the moment and enjoy his new found freedom. And besides, he already arrangements for certain others know of his departure from the Wizarding World, without revealing his plans.

However, his happy thoughts didn't last long, as anxiety crept its way into his mind. He felt his heart sink as he began to worry about his actions of bribing the people he needed for his _network._ If he got exposed, it would mean certain imprisonment in Azkaban and he most definitely didn't want to go there. The very thought of the Dementors was perhaps the only thing that scared him more than Abraxas or the Dark Lord.

Brining up his _Occlumency_ again, he managed to convince himself that he was doing the right thing. He wasn't building an evil, criminal empire. All he was doing was preparing for the coming threat he knew was inevitable. No wizarding government could protect him from the wrath of Abraxas, or the Dark Lord for that matter. If Abraxas had aligned himself with Voldemort, then it meant that the two shared a common interest in him, though for different reasons. One was interested in his skills and intelligence, while the other would be interested in his control of the family name and the access he had to what he wanted.

The good news was that neither were aware of his current position or location.

By the time the new school year at Hogwarts would start, everyone would know of his _departure._ Everyone would consider him missing, with the exception of Lily, Angelina and Dumbledore. Though they wouldn't know of his plans for Salem. This would certainly get the attention of both Voldemort and Abraxas, but his new fortune and status would be protected, including his plans. If he made the right moves, he could stay off everyone's radar and be allowed to finally walk the path he wanted for himself.

Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, Severus held firm, vowing to follow through with his plans and make himself stronger in all the ways he needed to be. But first, he needed to prepare for the week ahead of him and hope for the best.

Once finishing his shower, he combed his hair, dressed in his best robes, and put on some cologne. When he looked at himself through the mirror of the bathroom, he couldn't help but notice how much he had changed. No longer was his hair greasy or messy, it had a style to it. His facial figures had really improved, thanks to the makeover he had back in Diagon Alley. Even the robes he wore only added to making him look good.

 _No wonder those girls liked what they saw._

Once getting everything he needed, Severus was out the door of his room. Heading straight for the Salem school.

* * *

It was midday as Lily sat in the living room of her family home, reading one of the books she had bought from Hogsmeade. Because her parents were out, the whole place was left to her and Petunia, who was up in her room. As always.

But what should have been a peaceful afternoon, was filled with conflicts of the mind. Ever since Lily had come home from the slumber party the previous day, she couldn't get Severus out of her mind, especially after what her parents told her that night.

* * *

 _"Oh, Lily, I almost forgot to mention," Elizabeth was playing a game of chess with her husband, while Lily watched a show on the television. "Severus came over last night for dinner."_

 _Lily's eyes widened as she looked towards her mother, muting the tv with the remote._

 _"What?!" her voice almost squeaked. "He didn't say or do 'anything', did he?"_

 _Elizabeth and Richard sent their daughter a confused look, wondering what she meant._

 _"Oh, no dear, he was actually on his best behavior, as he always is," Elizabeth responded, before sending a teasing look at her husband. "Unlike some men I know."_

 _"Hey!" Richard raised his eyebrow. "You do know I'm going to make you pay for saying that."_

 _"Bring it on, loser-boy."_

 _"Loser-boy? Who are you calling loser-boy, overachiever?"_

 _"Mum, dad!" Lily got their attention. "What did Severus actually say and do while he was here?"_

 _"Severus came over to say hello," Elizabeth answered, moving one of her chess pieces. "He didn't plan on staying for dinner, but your father and I persuaded him to stay-"_

 _"If you can call 'dragging-him-inside-the-front-door' persuading," Richard teased._

 _Elizabeth sent him a glare._

 _"Back on the subject," Lily rolled her eyes at her parents. "What exactly did he say?"_

 _Richard decided it was his queue to jump in, "We talked for a while, saying his parents had another fight, that he might be leaving for the summer. Nothing much of importance."_

 _"I think we should pay his home a visit, see if everything is okay," there was a hint of worry in Elizabeth's voice. "I don't believe Severus told us the full truth about what is happening in that house. A few days ago, one of our neighbors said that there was a murder-suicide in Severus's neighborhood a week back."_

 _She suddenly gasped, "You don't think that..."_

 _"Honey," Richard reached over, patting her shoulder. "I'm sure everything is fine, Severus was just here the other night, so he couldn't have been involved with that incident. Although I am curious what exactly happened, it was surprisingly kept away from the papers and news station."_

 _Elizabeth nodded, reassured._

 _"You're right, Severus would have told us if it involved him."_

 _'But Severus was never one to share anything that happened inside his very home, or heart', Lily thought before speaking, "So everything was fine then?"_

 _Richard turned his attention towards his daughter again, sending her a look that said that he knew more than he was letting on, "Yes, Lily, everything was fine. But I highly recommend you calling him sometime, or even just meeting him in the park, like you two used to do. I know it'll mean a lot to him."_

 _That look and his words sent a shiver down her spine, making her wonder if Severus may have told him what happened at Hogwarts between them. She also feared that maybe he told a twisted version of the truth, one that made her look like the one who was wrong._

 _"I'll think about it," she sat back down on the couch, unmuting the tv._

* * *

Setting the book down, Lily buried her face into his hands and sighed, wondering what to do about her feelings towards Severus. She was very clearly mixed, both angry and sorry. She still resented Severus for what he did, but felt sorry for not giving him another chance. There was a part of her that still wanted to be with friends with him.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared over her, grabbing her attention.

Lily turned to find Petunia, looking down on her.

"Hi," she said shyly, touching the side of her hair.

"Hi," Lily replied, surprised by her sister's suddenly change in attitude towards her. She got up and approached her, trying to think of something to say. "How was your school year."

Petunia shrugged, "You know, the same boring stuff, only fun days are Friday and Saturday. Although I'm sure your _school_ is fun every single day."

Lily sensed some hostility in her voice with the last part, but also saw some regret in her eyes once she said it, turning away with a flash of red on her face.

"I'm sorry," Petunia forced the words out, keeping her face away from her sister. "I didn't mean to say it like that."

Lily was taken back, never once getting any form of apology from her like this. Ever since she had first found out she was a witch, something broke between them. Petunia started ignoring and avoiding her, only speaking when she needed to. There were times when she become hostile towards her, some that required their parents to get involved.

But now here she was, actually trying to treat her like a... human being.

First Severus starts acting weird, then Remus grows a backbone and stands up to James Potter, and now Petunia is starting to treat her nicely. Lily felt like she had gone to an alternate dimension.

But she wasn't about to let this one slide.

"Um, Tuney, are you okay?"

"Yes!" she replied too fast, slowly turning to look back at Lily. "I mean... I don't know."

Frowning, Lily approached her and took her hand, "Tuney, you can talk to me. In fact, how long has it been since we last talked to each other, aside from the usually ' _helloes_ ' and ' _goodbyes_ '?"

Petunia shrugged and finally faced her, looking into her eyes.

"I've always envied that you got the better looks in the family, you know."

Lily was shocked by her words, definitely not expecting to hear her admit something like that.

"Um, thank you, I guess," she struggled to find the right words, not wanting to upset her. "But you don't look too bad yourself."

Petunia scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on, you and everyone else know I'm hideous. The only eyes I attract are the ones who can never get a chance with a girl like you. I mean, look at you, Lily! I bet you have boys at that school of yours begging to ask you out."

 _If only you knew about the annoying, arrogant ones that come my way,_ she thought.

"Tuney, if you're worried about your looks, I came help you. In fact, I know a few places in Diagon Alley that specialize in making people look good, for a price at least."

Petunia backed away from Lily, her expression hardened and her face lit red like a cherry.

 _Oh no!_ Lily immediately became worried she pressed the wrong button.

"I'm not letting any unnatural freak touch me! If natural intended for me to be ugly since birth, then that's how I should be."

Lily wanted to laugh at that logic, but kept herself from doing so.

"Tuney, there is nothing wrong with letting magic change your appearance or even do things for you. Why is it wrong of people like me to do great things with magic, when Muggles do amazing things very single day? In the past century, Muggles have created cars, television, found cures for diseases, sent men to the moon, and even created phones. This kind of stuff would have been considered unnatural back in the Dark Ages, but yet we live in a world where they rule our everyday lives.

"The Wizarding World works in similar ways, just with magic. We may not have machines like Muggles do, but we can build entire structures in minutes that would take months or even years to accomplish, we can travel great distances within seconds or minutes. And those are just tips of the iceberg, underneath is a whole world of wonder and imagination. Why is that so bad?"

Petunia was taken back, blinking as the words sank in for her.

"I guess I never thought of it like that," she whispered, looking towards the floor. "But how does it all work? Where does that kind of power come from? How can it be explained?"

"Why does it need to be explained?" Lily giggled, taking her hand once again. "We can't see air, yet don't question where it comes from. We drink water, yet we don't question how or why its good for us. We see and live under the sun, yet we don't question how it lights itself. Magic is the same thing, it has wonder just as much as those things do. I don't know how it works or where it comes from, but why does not knowing suddenly make it an evil thing?"

"But it can be used to hurt and kill," Petunia countered. "I've heard about those stories from that newspapers you read."

"And the Muggles haven't once caused any form of death or destruction?" Lily countered right back. "Muggles have created weapons used to destroy, just as much as they've created things to save and create life. The same is with the Wizarding World, there is both wonder and darkness to everything that there is."

For once Petunia had no words, she could respond to that logic, angering her on the inside. But there was a sense of curiosity as well, something deep within her stirred, wanting to know more. For once in such a long time, she felt interested and even a little excited in knowing that there were other ways to do things. She even hoped that maybe she could change her physical appearance as well.

Lily smiled, knowing she had her attention.

"If you want, I can take you to Diagon Alley some time. I can see if I can get you an appointment with one of the shops and see what options there are. If you don't like it, then they change you back to your original self. And who knows, maybe you'll get lucky in the _relationship_ department. I can even vouch that there are some pretty hot guys in my world. Especially when it comes to the Quidditch teams."

Petunia raised an eyebrow, "And you know this... _how_ , exactly?"

Lily brushed, "Oh, you know, I sometimes _happen_ to be passing by the practice fields."

"Yeah, sure," Petunia giggled.

"Anyway, I'm bored," Lily sighed. "I could use some outdoors right now."

Petunia nodded, "I couldn't agree more. On the _boring_ part, at least."

"Want to go on a walk, or at least sit in the park, or something?"

Petunia shrugged, "I'm up for anything really."

"Well, then, I guess its decided," Lily squealed with excitement, happy that the two of them were going to get some privacy to themselves. "I'll go change into something more presentable."

"But isn't what you're wearing good enough?" Petunia asked, eyeing her loose shirt and jeans.

"During the summer, I prefer shorts and lighter shirts," she ran from the living room and up he stairs. "I'll be just a couple of minutes."

Exactly three minutes later, Lily appeared back down the stairs, dressed in shorts that outlined her upper legs and a new t-shirt that reached her hips. Grabbing her wand, both she and Petunia were on their way to the park, enjoying the beautiful day as they walked down the concrete sidewalk. Once they reached the park, they sat on the swings and talked, exchanging stories of how their year was like.

By the time they realized that the sun was getting lower, they headed on back to their family home. During dinner, both Elizabeth and Richard were shocked at how well their daughters were talking to each other, let alone the fact they sat nearly shoulder-to-shoulder at the table. In fact, it was the first dinner where everyone was actually laughing and having a good time, Petunia including.

When dinner was over, both Lily and Petunia volunteered to do the dishes together, which surprised their parents even more, although they were more than willing to use the break from leaving the kitchen for a change. While their parents were in the living room, both girls talked, losing themselves in their work and conversation.

At one point, Lily accidently dropped a pan back into the water, sending a wave at them both, soaking their clothes on the front side. At first, Lily was afraid she had pushed Petunia back into her angry mood again, but when she looked at her, she only found her laughing at the ordeal and actually teased her for it. Wanting to pay her back, she used her hands to throw some of the dish water at her face, laughing at the bubbles that covered her.

For a few seconds, Petunia stopped laughing, which worried Lily once again. Then she saw a wave of water being splashed on her face as well, hearing laughter as she rubbed the soap bubbles from her eyes and mouth. When got a good view, she saw Petunia laughing as she wiped the water and soap from her face as well. They both laughed together, not noticing the audience of their parents at the entrance of the kitchen and living room, who were smiling at them.

After cleaning up their mess, they all sat down together to watch an episode of Star Trek on the television, something they hadn't done since both Lily and Petunia were kids.

Once it was time for bed, both Lily and Petunia went to sleep with smiles on their faces, making plans to spend more time together the next day.

* * *

Salem Wizarding Academy Director, Jackson Dillon was no stranger to early mornings when he walked through the front doors of his home office, taking a drink from a glass of coffee he found waiting for him at his large desk.

"Thank you for the coffee, Samantha," he spoke to his secretary as he sat his bag down on the rug. "I don't what I'd do without you."

Samantha appeared from the room next door to his, carrying some files in one arm, while also drinking her own coffee with another. She smiled as she stepped in front of his desk, letting her red dress embrace the sunlight from the windows.

"Oh, stop it, Dillon! We both know you can replace me in a heartbeat."

"But where would be the fun in that?" he winked, sitting down in his chair. "Besides, I have no reason to replace you. And even I did, you would send me to an early grave."

"You're damn right! The one thing no other secretary can do better than me is making home-office coffee."

"And looking good in great dresses too," he _half_ teased.

Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention to the files and started sorting through them, "Thank god for the summer holidays, now that its here. All we need to focus on are a couple of meetings for the next few weeks, including planning for the next school year. While the summer program is starting up, that'll be an easy task to deal with. But we still have to take care of the now empty positions, since two of our professors have left."

Jackson sighed, "Don't tell me... Keen and Cooper decided that they're leaving for Europe, aren't they?"

Samantha nodded, sadly.

"Keen was offered a position in Defense Against the Dark Arts at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic over in France. As for Cooper, he decided to take up on some brand-new class involving mystical creatures at the Rome school in Italy. I can't really blame them, since both schools were offering great wages and benefits. I'm just surprised we didn't lose Professor Irons."

Jackson smiled at that, "Of course he would refused Durmstrang's offer. For over elven years, Irons has proven his loyalty to Salem. I swear, its like he's determined to never leave."

"Well, his home-base of operations of his family are here in the United States."

There was a knock on the door, a middle-aged woman peaking her head in.

"Mr. Dillon? There is a young gentleman hear to see you."

Jackson frowned, "I wasn't aware I had any appointments for this morning."

"There isn't, sir. But this gentleman is asking to speak with you, when you're available. He says he can wait for a later time if you're too busy at the moment."

Jackson raised an eyebrow, "So this young man really is a gentleman. Alright, might as well get this one over with, since he is asking nicely. A rare quality in today's youth."

The woman nodded and closed the door, her footsteps could be heard as she walked down the hallway.

Samantha smiled, raising her eyebrows at her boss, "This should be interesting. I've never heard her use the word _gentleman_ that much before."

"I'm just surprised this young man was willing to hold off meeting with me. He's lucky he was able to get me at a good time right now. I normally have a couple of appointments at this hour."

"Maybe its a sign of good luck for the new year to come."

A few minutes later, the doors opened again and a young teenager stepped on through, dressed in fancy robes. Very handsome for his age. Even Samantha had to keep herself from staring in awe, struggling to make sure her mouth was closed as he walked passed her.

Jackson could see a measure of maturity in his physical and mental presence.

"Mr. Dillon! I'm happy you were able to see me in person, especially at this hour," the young man approached the desk and offered his hand. "I know you can be a busy man, running a school such as this."

Though taken back, Jackson retained his composure and stood up, accepting his offered hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, mister?" he motioned towards one of the chairs. Both sitting down at the same time.

The young man smiled, "My apologizes. My name is Severus Alexander Prince, Lord of the Prince Dynasty. I was hoping to talk to you about attending Salem for the final two years of my education. That is if right now is a good time as any to discuss it. If not, we can reschedule for another time of your choosing. I do not mean to intrude, I know my timing is off. I've always been a man who likes to be... _unpredictable._ "

Jackson's mouth nearly fell open, even his mind was in free-fall. He hadn't expected to hear from the Lord Prince anytime soon, let alone actually see him in person.

"Mr. Prince... this is quite unexpected... I never thought to hear back from you so soon..." He was at a loss of words. Even Samantha couldn't help but study the young Lord over with curiosity and shock. She had heard a bit little about him from her boss, but even she could have never suspected that someone like him would want to attend a school such as theirs. Jackson managed to get himself together, replying in a firm, stable voice, "We can get started right away on making you a Salem student."

Severus Prince nodded, "I would like that very much. Thank you for your time, Mr. Dillon."

"Please, call me Jackson. Hearing my last name makes me feel old," he turned to Samantha, "Please get our guest something to drink. Is there anything she can get you, Mr. Prince?"

Severus shook his head, "No, thank you, but I appreciate your offer."

"Alright then, lets get started. Do you happen to have your student application forms?"

Nodding, Severus reached into his robes and took out a letter, setting it on the desk as he slid it towards the Director of the school, "Everything inside has been signed and well prepared for processing. However, there are a few demands that I must ask of you to meet."

Jackson felt his heart sink, and swallowed.

If this were any other student, he could easily refuse them. But this was a Lord, not some heir or common kid. Unless if those demands interfered with the rules of the school or involved anything illegal, he was legally bound to follow them.

"We'll try out best to meet those demands."

Nodding, Severus continued, "First order of business, I wish for my name to appear as only _Alexander Prince_ when you establish me in your files as a Salem student. The teachers and staff may call me either by Mr. Prince or Severus, but under no circumstance is my first name to be spelled out to the public. To the wizarding governments and the outside world, I'm just to be known as _Alexander_ or _Mr Prince_. But within the walls of this school, my full name will be known."

Jackson was surprised by this, as no such request was ever heard of. But it wasn't a terrible one either. In fact it was more than reachable. Taking a piece of paper, he noted it down.

"As you wish, Lord Prince."

"Second, I am to be allowed to live outside of the school grounds, including being able to leave whenever I see fit or necessary, no matter the time. I reassure you that I will not leave the classroom during school hours without reason, and I promise I will honor the system you have in place here. But I wish to be able to move freely, without interference. Considering who I am."

Although it was a little too demanding, Jackson understood and noted it down as well, "Yes, of course. We'll be able to meet that as well."

"Third, you will receive proper funding from my family fortune for the time being that I am here. I believe that one million galleons a year will be more than enough to help your school."

Jackson and Samantha's eyes widened at this.

"Um, beg your pardon, Mr. Prince," Jackson coughed. "But did I hear you right? One million galleons a year?"

Severus nodded, "Yes, that is right."

"But... why?" he accidently blurted out. "I don't even think that is considered to be a demand. If anything, it benefits me and Salem in every way possible."

"Because I take care of my assets, including when it comes to education. Since I will be attending your school and with the demands I am giving you to meet, it's only logical I give something in return. Not to mention having financial security helps a lot, especially for my assets."

Completely taken away by this, Jackson blinked as he wrote it down.

"And there's one more thing," Severus leaned forward in his chair, meeting Jackson's eyes. "I wish to know the current location of a Mr. David Irons."

Jackson frowned, not expecting the question.

"As in our very own Potions Professor David Irons?" he asked.

Severus nodded, "Yes, the very same. I wish to meet with him to discuss _business_ , considering his family name is one of the biggest in the American Wizarding World. If anything, he is pretty much a Lord as I am, which gives us something in _common_. Business relationship opportunities are very important."

"I'm afraid Mr. Irons is out of the city for the summer. He and his family love to spend their vacation traveling. But I can tell you that he is currently staying in New York City for the time being, doing business with the American Ministry of Magic. I can arrange a meeting if you'd like."

"No, thank you, Jackson," Severus smiled. "I can arrange a meeting of my own with him."

"But he is a busy man and I am friends with him-"

"Like I said, I can arrange my own meeting with him. But I thank you for your offer to help."

Jackson nodded in reply, "Is there any other demands?"

"No, that is all."

Setting the pen down and after handing both the piece of paper and application forms over to Samantha, the Director of Salem folded his hands as he studied the young Lord before him.

Once Samantha was out of the room, he broke the silence, "Mr. Prince, may I ask you some questions?"

Severus chuckled and said, "You have the right to ask me anything you want, and I will answer honestly."

"Why are you trading Hogwarts for Salem?"

Severus's face betrayed no emotion, other than the polite smile he held.

"What on Earth do you mean? Hogwarts and Salem are two great wizarding schools. Both are recommended."

"But Hogwarts is more considered than us, including more in-demand. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are the only other two school that come close to its status and popularity. I'm especially surprised you didn't apply for Ilvermorny. And what I can gather from your financial goblin, Clawlock, you had been going to Hogwarts for five years. So why leave now, when you just have two years left?"

"Things change, paths change. And I'm the kind of man who adapts with change. Once upon a time, I saw fit to become something in the British Wizarding Society, but now I see more potential in moving my operations to America, while also keeping some establishments in Britain as well. Having my options open is good for business."

"But you still left Hogwarts behind, when you could have continued your education there, while also moving your operations into America as well. I hope you don't mind me saying, Mr. Prince... but my instincts tell me that you _want_ to leave Hogwarts. For what reasons? I do not know. But, with that said, me and the staff of Salem are fortunate to have someone like you attend our school. Even if others won't be aware of who you are right now, I'm hoping that when you do reveal your status, it will get the attention of others in other countries across the Atlantic. A great long-term benefit for us, hopefully."

Severus nodded, "Anything else you would like to ask?"

" _Who are you?_ "

The question almost caught Severus off guard, but he still betrayed no emotion.

"What do you mean? I am Severus Alexander Prince, as you well know."

"But I've checked Hogwarts for a Mr. Prince and I can't find any record of him there. In fact, as far as the Wizarding World and I am concerned, the Prince Dynasty has been dead for a full decade. But now, here you are, rising it back up from the grave. If anything, the name Alexander Prince doesn't exist beyond a week ago. There is only one other student who shares your first name."

"Some things can come back from the dead, Jackson," Severus held his gaze, letting him know that he meant to keep his secrets. "As for me, I like remaining in the dark, including my past. I promised you that I will answer honestly, but that doesn't mean I have to give you the full truth. I am being honest when I say that I went to Hogwarts and that I am an official Lord Prince. How and why I didn't show up as one beyond a week ago is for me to tell you when I see fit. That is the _honest_ truth I am giving you."

Jackson felt the room become dark as he looked into his eyes, fearing the very man before him. He immediately dropped the subject, knowing he was treading on dangerous waters now.

"Apologizes, Mr. Prince. I meant no disrespect. My curiousity got the better of me, as you are a mysterious man. Its just that sometimes mysterious can be a dangerous thing."

"Exactly as I want to be. But I promise you that I am no threat nor danger to you or your school. You have my word, as a student, a Lord and as a potential friend."

Jackson nodded, immediately moving on to the next order of business.

A full hour passed as Severus and Jackson got straight to work on what needed to be done in order to officially instate him as a student of Salem. Once it was all said and done, Severus left with a smile on his face, ready to initiate _phase two_ of his plan.

Once the Lord Prince had left, Jackson let out a sigh of relief, happy the ordeal was over. As much as he found the man intriguing, there was a presence to that made him want to keep at arms length.

"Is it just me or did Salem just get a lucky break?" Samantha smiled. "How often do we get a Lord of some House to apply for our school, let alone actually attend as a student? We got lucky with David Irons, but even his family name was new. The Prince Dynasty has been around for hundreds of years. And now one is actually coming here."

"Yes, this is our biggest break since Professor Irons, but I have a feeling that we need to keep our eye on this one. There's something about him that makes me wonder."

Samantha licked her lips as she smiled seductively, "I wonder if he's nearing the age of seventeen yet. I maybe in my thirties, but I could use someone younger in my life. Not to mention much more mature than the idiots who pass as _men_. Oh god, I feel like teenager again just thinking about him!"

"Now, now, Samantha," Jackson chuckled. "Seventeen or not, he would still be too young for you. And he is _currently_ a student of this school. So hands off the merchandise... until he graduates at least."

Samantha moaned in despair, "But that's two years away! And I'll be closer to forty by then."

"Oh, I think you can manage," he winked at her.

* * *

 **Okay, so that is done.**

 **What did you guys think, am I starting off on the right track with Severus going to Salem now?**

 **Also, I know a lot of you are wanting to see Severus start the new school year at Salem right away, but I'm still setting up a lot of story and characters. So I need a few more chapters before I get right into Severus's new school life. Just be patient, it'll come soon. ;)**

 **And thank you so much for the amazing reviews you guys are leaving it really does mean a lot to me. You guys rock! :)**

 **I deeply apologize for the late update, but hopefully I can get back to a normal schedule of posting a new chapter every week or two.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And I'll you guys in chapter fifteen!**


	15. The Irons Family

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Okay, I am (once again) very sorry for the late update on this story. I meant to publish this one a few weeks ago, but I wasn't satisfied with the original chapter that I wrote and decided to start from scratch. I've also been busy with work and among other things. So, once again, apologizes for the late update.**

 **Unlike the other chapters, this one will not feature Severus (for the very first time, actually). I wanted to focus on this particular group of characters, because they will become more important later in the story.**

 **Oh, this one is going to be shorter than most of the others.**

 **And another thing, I've found a song on YouTube called "Maybe" (By: Sick Puppies). It's pretty much added to my inspiration of writing this story and I highly recommend checking it out. Just a warning, not all of the lyrics match up with what is going on in Severus's life/story, but some of the lyrics do (you'll know 'em when you hear 'em ;)). Look it up, if you want to.**

 **Anyway, enjoy chapter fifteen!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen:**

 **The Irons Family**

* * *

The sunlight shined its way through the large windows of the master bedroom, reaching the face of a man, who was peacefully asleep under the covers of a king-sized bed. Once feeling the heat of the sun on his face, the man sighed and his eyes opened to morning that awaited him. Turning to lay on his back, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over to his side, finding a woman just a couple of inches from him.

Covered with blankets, the woman slept peacefully, her head on a fluffy pillow and her hands laying to the side of her face. Her skin was radiant from the sunlight, which failed to wake her.

Smiling, the man moved closer to her and used his hand to caress her cheek that was exposed to him, enjoying the softness of her skin. Feeling her stir in her sleep, he leaned over and gently began to kiss her cheek, and then slowly moved her lips. When he finally reached them, he felt the woman kiss him right back, hearing her moan in pleasure.

"Morning, handsome," the woman smiled, opening her eyes.

The man winked at her and replied, "Morning back ya, beautiful."

Chuckling, the woman leaned up on her side, keeping the covers close to her chest, and brought her hand to the back of the man's head, bringing him back towards her. They met with their lips connecting, renewing their kiss.

"This summer vacation is getting better by each day," the man began kissing her cheeks and neck, taking his time as his wife leaned back to give him more skin.

"I always wondered how people would react to a nearly fifty-year-old couple acting this way," she teased, smiling once she felt her husband reach her exposed breasts. "Even after thirty years, we still behave like teenagers."

"Who cares what everyone thinks, beautiful," the man replied, teasing her down below. "Even before we got married, we made sure there was tons of _fun_ in our relationship on the road together. As far as I'm concerned, everyone is just a hypocrite when it comes to how to live."

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Now get over here!"

Before the man could respond, the woman grabbed ahold of him by the shoulders and rolled them over, blankets scattering all around them as their naked bodies were suddenly exposed to the morning sunlight that was shining on them. Straddling her husband, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, her tongue fighting for dominance over his. It was their own little fun game that they loved to play together.

Despite that both of them were close to the age of fifty, David and Felicity Irons were in great shape, both physically and mentally. In fact, they both still looked to be in their early thirties, with the help of some potions and spells. But unknown to so many others, including their own children, David and Felicity Irons was not their real names.

As a Potions Professor, David Irons was considered to be the best that Salem ever had. Even though he had no official records of ever attending a school, it was Salem's Director Jackson Dillon who helped him get accepted into the institution, who was impressed with his work and knowledge, an act that led to the two becoming close friends. Since then, David used his small fortune to invest into the American Wizarding World, especially the government, which has turned him into a very rich man and popular figure in the Wizarding World of America. And despite business deals from Britain and other European Wizard countries, David vowed to keep his operations in America.

Since the day he stepped foot in Salem, David has found himself being _pursued_ by both female students and school staff, including one by the name of Samantha, his boss's secretary. Maybe if he had been single at the time, he most definitely would had taken up on dating a few of them. _Ones over the age of seventeen, of course._ But his heart and soul belonged to the love of his life, the woman he married a decade before moving to Salem in 1965.

David's life was rather complicated, always leaving much of his past a mystery to those in his life, even his children. The only one who knew the answers to the questions that everyone always brought up was his wife. But then again, she was there for most of it anyway. What was known about David was that he traveled the world before settling in Salem. He told stories of where he traveled, but mentioned very little of what he did. Due to his silence of neither confirming or denying any of the rumors, lots of stories have surfaced about him in the school of Salem.

Felicity Irons was a best-selling witch author of the American Wizarding World, including a full-time mother of two children in her life. In her teenage years, everyone once considered her to be _average_ , especially among the boys. But what ultimately made her life hard was the fact that she was what the British Wizarding World called a _muggleborn,_ or _mudblood_ as purebloods liked to call her. Her mother died giving birth to her, while her father was a drunk who didn't care about her existence.

America wasn't her home or the place that she was born, just like her husband. She was born and raised in Great Britain, or more specifically the British Wizard Community. When she first got her Hogwarts acceptance letter, it was a great moment of her life, for once she could escape her father and go on to a better place. Of course, like always, her father never cared and refused to take her to Diagon Alley. In order to get school supplies, she got her father drunk one night, _borrowed_ what money he had, took his car and drove herself to the address of where Diagon Alley was, having had practice with picking up her passed-out, drunk father from bars when he failed to return home.

 _All at, and before, the age of eleven!_

Thanks to the list from Hogwarts, she was able to get what she could with her father's money and get back to the house before her father woke with a hangover. Thankfully, he couldn't remember anything, so she managed to convince him that he spent all of his money on alcohol, saving her punishment. The good news was that she lived just on the outskirts of London, allowing her to be able to walk to King's Cross Station and find Platform 9 3/4, with some help from fellow wizards and witches she found within the train station.

The moment she boarded the Hogwarts Express and walked into the front gates of Hogwarts itself, she was filled with excitement and wonder that she never had before. Sorted into Ravenclaw, she quickly came to love Hogwarts and made friends for the first time. Everyday always offered something new for her, some form of adventure and excitement. But this new also opened up some new challenges, especially when it came to her being a muggleborn. Because of her being the daughter of muggles, she became a target of Slytherin, who bullied anyone in Hogwarts who they declared to be a _mudblood_ or _blood-traitor._

It was also in Hogwarts that she met the love of her life; _her future husband,_ David. It wasn't like in the books or movies, where the romance always had the two characters falling in love right away or in a matter of days. For them, it was simple. They started off as just friends in first year, growing a bond of trust and ease around each other. By fifth year, they were nearly inseparable, doing almost everything together. But it was in their sixth year when something changed, something new that had started to develop between the two of them. While they were aware of the change, they couldn't quite figure out what exactly that change meant.

And then seventh year came, the year when the two became truly in love and both recognized it. It all began on the Christmas Eve, the night the two made love for the very first time. While it was an awkward, painful experience in the beginning, it became an experience of pleasure and happiness. Other than the day they would eventually marry, it would go down as the second best night of her life.

For David, it was a scary and exciting thing for him, almost the same for her, but for different reasons. Because he was a highborn, he was already promised to another highborn girl, a way for purebloods to keep the family-lines pure. But like the stupid young idiots they were, they decided to fight against it together. After graduating Hogwarts, David had confronted his father about their relationship, which didn't end well.

After the ordeal, the both of them decided to run away from Britain and travel the world together for the next 18 years. Knowing his father would search for them, they had changed their names over the years, even learning from a few cultures of the art of stealth, which was a whole other story to tell. But thanks to having taken some money from his family's fortune, they were financially secure and free move more easily. As for her father, she didn't bother worrying about him, or if he would miss her. He barely even noticed she was gone while attending Hogwarts for seven years.

Eventually, they would marry in the year of 1955 and settle down in Salem, Massachusetts a full decade later; officially going by the names of David and Felicity Irons. They also had two children in their lives, a boy and a girl, both of whom were born before the couple settled in Salem of 1965. The girl looked more like Felicity, while the boy resembled his father, with a few noticeable differences. The two would start going to Salem at the age of 11, similar to the rules of Hogwarts and many other wizarding schools.

Ever since coming to America, the Irons Family had become one of the richest, most powerful figures in the Wizarding World of America. They were almost invested into everything, even having influence in the American Ministry of Magic. They were well-respected and well-liked by everyone, with the exception of a few enemies

The couple went at it for the next twenty minutes, enjoying the pleasure of one another, as they made love in the morning sunlight of their king-size bed. Felicity continued to straddle David, who had his hands on her hips, moving them up towards her breasts and down towards her bum, giving it a gentle squeeze that got a moan out of both of them. Their bodies were covered in sweat, sticking to the covers beneath them.

Thanks to the silencing charms and locking spells around their entire room, their sounds of _pleasure_ went unnoticed to anyone outside of the walls.

Taking charge, David brought his arm around Felicity's back and flipped them over, so he was on top. Once comfortable he began to move and the two enjoyed the contact between each other, before they both went over the edge and yelled out in orgasm. Both of them laid on the bed, right beside each other, as they got their breathing under control.

"Still got it," David chuckled.

Felicity smiled and slapped him right across the chest, "Show off."

"Hey, you're the one who started it."

"A woman has her needs," she rolled to the side of the bed and got up, pulled off the bed sheets that still stuck to her from the sweat. As she headed to the bathroom, David watched from the bed, leaning on his elbows as he enjoyed the view of his wife's rear, which teased him with every step she took, swaying side-by-side.

Aware of his attention towards her, Felicity stopped at the entrance of the bathroom and did a pose, moving her hips in a sway moment.

"You coming, handsome?" she asked in a slow, seductive voice, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Sighing to himself, David removed the covers from his lower half and walked into the bathroom, finding his wife in the shower, waiting for him. Unable to control himself any longer, he rushed towards her and spun her around to face him. Cupping her bum, he lifted her up and felt her legs lock around his waist, while she squealed with excitement.

With the hot waters raining down on top of them, their foreheads met once they had made contact once again. With their eyes closed, they smiled and sighed in pleasure as he pressed up against the wall of the shower.

* * *

In the kitchen of the large suite of the wizard inn that the Irons Family were staying in, two teenagers moved around the cabinets and drawers, dressed in cook clothing.

"They cannot be still going at it," the teenage girl moaned as she used the tip of her wand to flip the pancakes on the pan of the stove. "I swear, sex has to be the most disgusting thing on the entire planet."

"Oh, come on, Nora!" the teenage boy across from her, teased, using his wand to stirring the eggs in a bowl and levitate a pair of toast to a plate. "Once you've tried it yourself, you'll understand. Hell, I expect you won't get enough of it."

The girl called Nora rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's because you've already lost your virginity this year, at the age of fifteen. In fact, who was it again? It was either Makenzie or Iris, from what I can remember."

"First off, I wasn't planning on losing my virginity until sixth or seventh year, older girls are much more better," the boy replied. "And second, it was Caitlyn who I lost it to, and she was the one who seduced me into doing it."

"The sixth year girl?" Nora has a look of surprise on her face. "I'm surprised she took any interest in you, let alone actually want to kiss you."

"I take offense towards that!" the teenage boy sent her a glare, one that sent a smile across her face, without even having to look at him. "I'm a star in the Flyboard Racing, not to mention championship winner of this year, of course she took interest in me."

"Caitlyn has been sleeping with any popular boy since fourth year, she's pretty much the definition of a-"

"Don't say it, Nora!" the boy gave her a glare, warning her to back off. "You know I hate that word."

"Come on, you know she is!"

"Okay, granted, I will admit that she sleeps around a little too much."

" _A little?_ "

"Point being!" the boy raised his voice to silence her. "I believe that anyone has the right to sleep with anyone they want. As long as if they are not killing, not raping, not stealing, not bullying, not doing anything that can legitimately hurt anyone in a terrible way, then they are alright in my eyes. Caitlyn maybe a girl who sleeps around with way too many boys, but it isn't like she's hurting anyone. It's one thing if a girl or guy leads someone on and breaks their hearts in the end, that's wrong in my opinion. But if both parties are aware that its a one-time thing, or just temporary, and are okay with that, then all is fine."

"I'm sure mother and father will have something to say if I told them about all of this."

"You _wouldn't!_ " the boy stared at her, narrowing his eyes.

Nora cocked her eyebrow at him, smiling, "Try me, _loverboy_."

"If you do, I'll tell them about the time you faked your age in order to try and win tickets to the _Rocking Spells_ Concrete last year."

Fear rose in the girl's eyes, knowing the punishment if her parents ever found out. While she was still hurt that she didn't manage to win those tickets, it was a miracle that no one discovered what she did, with the exception of her brother.

"Okay, fine!" she whined, bringing up her hand. "I promise not to reveal your secret if you don't reveal mine. Deal?"

"Deal!" the boy did a small victory dance around his sister and shook her hand, hearing a loud cracking sound behind him. Turning around, he saw that the bowl with the eggs had spilled all over the floor, with pieces of glass scattering all over the place. "Oh, come on, I was almost done!"

Nora covered her mouth as she started to laugh.

"Don't laugh, Nora!" the boy yelled back at her as he used his wand to clean up the mess.

Once they finished making breakfast, the two of them started setting up the dinner table, while waiting for their parents to come out of their bedroom.

"So, have you decided what you want to do once your final year is over?" the boy asked.

Nora turned to look at him, thinking to herself, "I'm not fully sure. In fact, I don't even know what dad or mom think I should do."

"You already know the answer to that. They want you to do whatever you want. Dad has lots connections to help you in whatever you do."

"But here's the thing, I think I want to do what dad and mom did when they were young. I want to travel the world, see different cultures, sail the seas, climb mountains-"

"Maybe get to bang a few handsome boys along the way too?" her brother raised his eyebrows in a mockingly seductive matter.

"Ew! Don't go putting that kind of image in my mind, Ben! I'm still trying to get the one of you and Caitlyn out as we speak!"

The boy known as Ben, chuckled before calming himself down, "Okay, okay, sorry. No perverted images, I swear. But in all honestly, Nora, why are you _really_ wanting to really travel the world? If you're doing it to track down mum and dad's past, then you're going about it the wrong way."

Nora lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes, "I just... I want to know where they come from, who they were, what they did, who the rest of our family was or still is. They're so secretive about everything, and it drives me crazy. The answers they give us about their past lives are always kept to a simple answer, never any detail, and not to mention that their usual answer is the clichéd _"we'll tell you everything when you're older"_. We still don't know what country they come from or what school they went to, let alone who our grandparents were."

"Um, sis, they kinda already told us where they come from."

"What?! How come you know and I don't?!" she demanded.

"Well, I sort of overheard them mentioning Britain a couple of times before-"

"You mean _ease-dropping,_ right?

"I prefer it as _overheard,_ and besides, what's the difference? Its pretty much almost the same a little bit. But anyway, they mentioned Britain a few times before, when they have thought we were sleeping."

"And you didn't mention this to me until now... _why_ exactly?"

"Because I wanted to see if I could use it as leverage against you when the opportunity arose. But seeing how you want to know, and have the right to, I figured it would be a good time as any to reveal it."

"Alright, so, they actually said Britain?" Nora was becoming more invested.

Ben nodded, leaning forward against the chair, keeping his voice low.

"If they are from Britain, then that means only one thing... they went to _Hogwarts!_ "

"Why are we whispering?" Nora asked. "We had no problem talking normal before, and that was when we had much bigger secrets to keep than this."

"Because in every movie I've ever seen, just when a reveal happens, the people it involves always appear just when you least exp-"

"Hey guys!" came a voice from behind them, nearly making them jump out of their skins as they turned to find their mother and father walking towards the dinner table, both wearing white robes.

"Oh, you made breakfast, I'm famished," said David Irons, who immediately took his seat right next to his wife, who was already dishing herself up with some pancakes.

Looking at each other, both Nora and Ben calmed their hearts down and took their seats as well, trying to act normal.

"Thank you for the nice courtesy of making breakfast, but I get a feeling that you want something in return though," Felicity shot her children a knowing look at them.

Ben smiled nervously, chuckling terribly as he replied, "What? No! We don't want something in return. Why can't a normal breakfast made by your two lovable kids, just be a normal breakfast made by-"

"We have something to ask of you!" Nora interrupted, rolling her eyes at her brother. "And we want the truth, that's all we want."

Felicity and David turned to look at each other and set a knowing look, setting their silverware down.

"Alright," David nodded. "Go ahead and ask us what you know. But we'll be the ones to judge if you need to know or not."

"Oh, come on, Dad!" Nora sighed. "You pretty much know what I want to ask, why can't you just be honest."

"Because we're not sure if you're ready for the truth, darling," Felicity reached across the table and touched her daughter's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know you've been begging for the last ten years to know about our past, but I promise you that you'll understand everything when the time is right. But for right now, you may ask your questions, and we will decide whether we should tell you."

Groaning to herself, Nora leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms, nodding back in reply.

Nodding back, David asked, "What is your first question?"

"Where were you born?"

Taking a few seconds, it was Felicity who replied, "Your father and I were born in Britain, of the British Wizarding World."

Ben light up with joy as he pointed directly as his sister in triumph, "Aha! I told you I overheard them say Britain! I told you!"

"So, you've been _ease-dropping_ on us, hm?" Felicity raised an eyebrow at Ben.

Blushing, Ben sat back into his chair, trying to hide his embarrassment of outing himself, "Opps! Um, I prefer the words... _accidently overheared?_ "

"Mmhmm," Felicity raised an eyebrow at him, before turning her attention back to Nora, who continued to stare down at the empty plate in front of her.

After a few more seconds of silence, she finally asked her next one, "Does that mean that you both went to Hogwarts?"

Felicity and David looked at each other again.

"Yes," her father replied. "We went to Hogwarts for our education. But other than that, we'll answer no more questions. Lets eat before the food gets-"

"What about our grandparents?" Nora pressed on, looking up to face her father's eyes. "Are they still alive? Who were they? Do you both have any siblings? Do we have any cousins? What did you do during the time that you and mom traveled the world? What made you decide to do that in the first place? Why do you continue to hide your past from us?"

"Enough, Nora!" David raised his voice, his face red with a mix of different emotions. "I will answer no more questions from here on out. Your mother and I promise to tell you _everything_ one day, but not now. Focus on finishing your school education and enjoying the life that you have right now. I don't want either of you asking anymore questions about this, because the only answer you will get will be silence! _Understood!"_

With all of her strength and will-power, Nora forced herself to nod, before turning her gaze at the plate before her, disappointed.

Sighing, David calmed himself down, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that with you. I know how much it means to you both that you want to know about our past, and I promise we will tell you everything, but now is not the time." He looked towards Felicity, who gave him a reassuring smile in return, but reluctantly. "Lets just enjoy this wonderful meal that you two have made and our summer vacation, alright?"

Both Nora and Ben nodded and replied, "Yes, father."

Once digging into the food before them, Ben decided to lighten the mood with some of his jokes, "Oh, do you want to hear a joke about the elephant and the naked man?"

"Oh god, someone stop him before it's too late!" Nora covered her face, struggling to keep her laughter from being heard.

"Alright, an elephant comes across a naked man, after studying him over, the elephant asks, _"How do you breath through that thing?"._

Everyone started laughing, including Nora, despite doing all she could to block out her brother's voice. Wanting to get everyone in a good mood, Ben told another joke, which earned him another round of laughter that echoed through the suite that they were staying in for the week.

Once breakfast was over and the dishes were taken care of, the Irons Family left the suite to journey down New York City. Unknown to them, their day was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

 **Once again, a thousand apologizes for the late update. I've been a little busy with work, family coming over and also among a few other things.**

 **Also, I just recently got the chance to see Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone and also Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in IMAX. And it was... AWESOME! Sad story, I never got the chance to see the final Harry Potter film (being Part 2) when it first came out, so I've lived with a regret of not seeing it. So, I guess this was my 'redemption' of being able to correct my mistake (in a way). Also being able to see the first film on the big screen for the first time in my life (not to mention in IMAX) was a nice bonus as well.**

 **I apologize for no Severus's in this chapter. But I can promise that we will get more of him next time, including a meet up with Mr. David Irons. Without giving any SPOILERS away, but also without treating you guys like you don't know anything, I think you all know who David Irons really is. Even a kid could figure it out. But for the sake of keeping you on edge, I'm not revealing anything.**

 **What do you think of the Irons Family so far? Please tell me in the review section!**

 **Oh, and I apologize if my details of the sex scene in the beginning of this chapter disturbed anyone. I did rate this "M" for a reason. It won't be a very common thing in this story, but will be sexual content.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought! See you guys in chapter sixteen (man this story is getting bigger)!**


	16. Long Past Overdue

**Redemption**

* * *

 **I'M BACK!**

 **Okay, I know I haven't updated in quite a while. And by while, I mean eight full months without update and most likely a mob of people who want to murder me. But I do have the protection of " _if I'm not alive, I cannot finish, so haha!"_**

 **But in all seriousness, I am sorry for the long past overdue update. I had to go through a lot of rewrites of the plots and certain decisions. Plus, work and moving have been involved as well. But I like to think that some time away has allowed for some reflection.**

 **Also, I have a special announcement at the end of the chapter to make. So please read the Author's Note at the end to find out what it is.**

 **And as usual, I do not own Harry Potter! Only J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. do!**

 **Please enjoy chapter sixteen (and I think the title speaks for everything ;))!**

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen:**

 **Long Past Overdue**

* * *

Two weeks had gone by faster than Severus thought. He had been so busy since his meeting with Director Dillon that he nearly forgot what day it was. Scheduling appointments with various departments and divisions within the Magical Congress of the United States of America, also known as the MACUSA or the American Ministry of Magic to others, took time. His days were filled with sleeping in a magical hotel and visiting the Woolworth Building on 223 Broadway of Manhattan.

He also paid a visit to the American Wizardry Bank & Trusts to open a series of accounts, and also begin investing into promising assets for his wealth.

And in the procress, he had already stated making friends in the government, especially with the Commander of the Auror & Law Department.

By the end of the second week, he had already established his roots within the American Wizarding World and was on his way of creating an influence within the magical government.

But he's plans didn't stop just with legal activities.

Doing his research, Severus made sure to build the infrastructure of his _network_ very carefully. Knowing who ran the smuggling business in Eastern American and was in business with Ian Shaw, he recruited Kane Miles with ease. He also, _off-paper,_ bought a series of abandoned warehouses and apartments from a local wizarding estate.

Needing safehouses in Salem as well, he also made sure to buy some vacation houses, including one that had a great view of the water.

With little time to enjoy where he was, Severus put all of his focus and dedication to what he was doing. But by the end of his second week in America, everything was falling into place. His new life was starting off on the right foot, and his plans for being fulfilled.

But the final phase of his plan was yet to come. And he had a pit of dread and fear in his heart.

He had been keeping an eye on the Irons Family as much as he could. His room was in the exact same hotel as they were in. But through the two weeks of being in New York, he kept his distance and made sure not to be spotted. There were a few close calls, having almost being seen by David Irons.

The man seemed to always have a sense of his surroundings, which didn't surprise Severus, considering that he had been on the run for decades.

But he knew that he needed to make his presence known and reveal himself. If he was to truly make a change and get to know the one part of his lost family that he has left, he needed to act before his school year started again.

On the morning of the start of his third week in America, Severus Prince boarded a ship for the Statue of Liberty, keeping a good distance from the Irons Family.

* * *

David and Felicity smiled as they watched their children marveled at the Statue of Liberty from the ship they were on, their arms intertwined.

"Remember the first time we saw the Statue when arriving in America?" she asked, lost in memory.

David smiled, "Yes, but it was your reaction that made the visit worth it."

Felicity playfully swat him on the shoulder, "You're just saying that to make me smile."

"But it's true. In fact, I remember you telling me that we should settle down here with Nora."

Felicity's smile faded as she lowered her head.

Noticing this David used his fingers to lift her chin up, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Hints of tears were visible on her eyes as she turned to look at her daughter, "It's Nora. What are going to do about her? Her final year is coming up and we're experiencing her final summer vacation as a teenager. I sometimes wonder how the years went by so fast."

He nodded sadly, "She'll still be our little girl. And we'll be there for her, no matter what she decides to do."

"I'm not worried about what she'll do when she graduates, I'm worried about what happens when she begs the truth from us. You know that we'll have to tell her everything. And I do mean... _everything,_ David."

David nodded again, a touch of fear deep within his eyes, "I know. We both knew that the truth would come out eventually. And as much as I wish it could last until Ben graduates, it may come quicker than we would want." He paused, sighing in defeat. "We should talk to them tonight, promise to tell them the truth, as long as they're willing to wait until the end of their next school year. That way we can make sure how to tell B-"

Suddenly, David's head turned and his eyes were staring down the crowd, searching. His free hand moved into his pocket and touched his wand, ready to use it if necessary. Controlling his heart and sense, he continued to study his surroundings.

Sensing and feeling her husband's disturbance, Felicity reached for her wand too, carefully searching for any threats.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"I don't know. But I get the feeling we're being followed."

Relaxing, Felicity rolled her eyes and smiled, "Not this again. For the past two weeks, you've been paranoid."

"For good reason," he refused to give up his search. "You know who I fear will find us one day."

"You're father can't found us, and he never will. We've been safe here for over eleven years. And I'm willing to bet he's giving up on trying to find you."

"He found my sister, in case you've forgotten."

A look of fear and worry appeared on Felicity's face as she casted a quick look at her children, lingering a bit on Ben before turning back to her husband, "That was over ten years ago. We're safe now. If what you're saying is true, why hasn't this person informed your father yet?"

"Most likely to confirm who I am."

"Would such a person risk two weeks just to do so? I think anyone would have made a move by now. Don't let the past rule over our future, David. We've been through so much and come too far for such a thing to ruin what we've created."

Taking her words to heart, he sighed and calmed himself, letting go of his hidden wand. Turning to his wife, he offered a small smile and leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. With her arms around his neck, and his around her waist, the two of them closed their eyes and basked in their intimate moment, smiling.

Hearing the ship signal for docking, they looked forward to the Statue of Liberty, unaware of the hidden figure that watched them from the crowds.

* * *

Severus berated himself for almost getting caught again, though he praised Mr. Irons' ability to sense him.

Once the ship had docked on the island of the Statue of Liberty, he kept a good distance from them, hoping he could remain hidden When they began climbing the stairs of the Statue, he followed as well. Though a good work out for him, he wished he could fly a magical broom or Apparate to the top.

For almost half an hour, he watched them and began to feel a sense of envy towards the family. He began to wonder how life would have turned out if he only had been able to live like that. But he also sneered at the idea of being such naïve child, unable to be intelligent about things in life.

Through the whole time, he had his attention on the teenage boy, studying him from head to toe. There was a part of him that didn't know how to feel, considering the circumstances.

Hating the emotions that kept circling in his chest, he finally made the decision to reveal himself to the family. Waiting for the precise moment he could catch them alone, he followed them back down the stairs and found the perfect opportunity.

Hearing the two kids beg their parents to visit the shops, he waited until they were gone and began to walk to the Irons couple, struggling to control his heart as he got closer. Each step felt like an eternity, a journey to an uncertain fate.

His eyes were on the man the whole time, studying him carefully with a stern face.

The couple sensed his approach and turned to look at him, their expressions hardening.

"Can we help you, sir?" Mr. Irons asked.

Severus can to stop, putting some space between them, and bowed, "Actually, you might have just did. Are you David Irons?"

He kept his face stern, studying him over as he replied, "I am. But if this is about the Potions class that I teach at Salem, I'm afraid that I do not like to talk about such things when I'm not in the office."

"This has nothing to do with Potions, Mr. Irons. I'm here to talk to you about someone you once knew... _Eileen Snape._ "

The name forced Mr. Irons' eyes to betray himself as worry and fear covered his facial expression. Within a split of a second, both he and Felicity had their wands secretly ready for a fight, hidden in their pockets.

"I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

"Then maybe you would recognize her by her maiden name, _Eileen Prince_. After all, you went by the last name a long time ago. _Maximillian Prince,_ born August 21, 1928."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Irons drew their wands and pointed them directly at Severus, their eyes full of anger.

"You made a mistake in revealing your knowledge of me, boy!" Mr. Irons hissed.

"Why can't you people just leave us alone!" Mrs. Irons spat with hatred. "Cornelius forced him to run away and hide, all so he could be with me. If you had just left us alone, we could have allowed for our kids to go to Hogwarts, like we once did."

Severus frowned, "Cornelius can't hurt you anymore."

"And why is that?" Mr. Irons demanded.

"Because he died over ten years ago. I am now the Lord of the Prince Dynasty, by right and law. And I promise you both, Mr. and Mrs. Irons. I am not here to fulfill what Cornelius wanted. I am here to relieve you of your worries and come with sad news of Eileen."

The couple were left shocked and confused, looking towards one another with uncertainty.

Regaining control, Mr. Irons asked, "How did... he die..."

Severus took a moment, "Poison. Killed by your mother, Rebekka."

Lowering his wand, Mr. Irons nodded and closed his eyes, a sense of confliction surrounding him.

"How do you know this?"

"Because Crashwell told me everything. After the death of Helena Prince, Rebekka avenged her daughter's death by poisoning Cornelius."

"And... my mother?"

Severus studied him and struggled to find the right words. He quickly came to the conclusion that nothing he said or how he said it would make him feel any better.

"She died of heart break and sadness not long after."

Mr. Irons' face darkened and tears appeared in his eyes, his hands beginning to shake. Stepping backwards, he almost fell, only to be saved by his wife, who struggled to hold him still.

"David... breath... just breath..." she struggled to hold back her tears as well, unable to contain the sadness of the combined news and her husband's reaction to it.

Severus allowed for everything to sink in, knowing that his words would be useless.

After a long period of time, Mr. Irons began gathering himself together and turned his attention back to him, tears slowly sliding down his face.

"You... said you have news about... my _sister_..."

Severus closed his eyes, knowing that this would hurt as well, including to himself.

"She died. Almost a month ago."

Though not being able to see, he could hear the hard breathing of the man who was uncle and also the comfort whispering of the woman who was his aunt, though he could hear the weeping from her too.

"Goddamn it!" he heard Mr. Irons whisper. "Why didn't she come with me? I told her to come with me twice and I chose to respect her wishes. Why couldn't she have just left Britain behind?"

"You know why," Severus replied, opening his eyes to face the weeping couple before him.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Irons were deep in an embrace, holding one another tightly as tears fell from their cheeks. Breaking apart, but still holding hands, they turned to face him, though smiling.

"It's good to meet you under better circumstances, _Eric_. "

Severus nodded, "It's good to meet you both, Maximillian and Jessica. And don't worry, I won't reveal your true identities to my cousins. I've listened in on your conversation earlier to know you haven't told them everything yet. I promise I'll leave the decision and talking to you. I only came to introduce myself and to tell you the news."

David Irons smiled and bowed, "I appreciate that. Me and _Felicity_ appreciate it."

"It's so good to meet you at long last, Eric," Felicity smiled and quickly approached him, giving him a bear hug that caught him off guard. Though he felt extremely uncomfortable, he controlled himself not to do or say anything mean. "David told me about Eileen keeping you after what happened to your mother and father. I only wish she had come with you to live with us."

Once she had let go of him, Severus felt a sense of relief and nodded, "I'm actually here to talk to you both about that... and among other certain things. But seeing how this isn't the right time or place, I felt it was necessary to introduce myself and to tell you I am staying at the same hotel as you are. We can meet at my room, 304, to talk later."

"How long have you been here?" Mr. Irons asked.

"Two weeks. I've been taking care of business since arriving."

"So that was you who was following us all that time. I was actually starting to believe I was going mad from paranoia."

"Day is still young," Felicity teased.

Hearing laughter, they turned to see both the Irons' kids making their way back with sweets from the store they were in.

"I'll take my leave now. Remember, room 304 is where I'll be staying. If I'm not there, I will be at night."

"We'll be seeing you," David reached out his arm towards him. "This reunion has been long past overdue. I expect answers when I come to visit."

Severus nodded and shook his hand, quickly walking past him as he made his way to catch the next ship back for the city.

* * *

As both David and Felicity watched him go, they were greeted by their children.

"Hey, guys," Nora smiled. "Who was that guy you were talking to?"

"And why did it look like you were both crying?" Ben raised an eyebrow.

Looking towards each other, the two sent a knowing look at one another and turned back to their kids.

"Just someone we know."

"Well, you're father knows him at least."

"Really?" Nora looked towards the figure in the distance before disappearing around the corner. "Maybe I can get some answers out of him about you two."

"You will do no such thing!" David raised his voice. "Me and my mother will be visiting him later, and if we decide so, you can meet him as well. But you are forbidden to ask him any questions involving us."

Nora moaned and rolled her eyes, "Fine! Maybe next time I run into someone who knows you two, I won't let my intentions be known."

"Nora!"

"Not making any promises. You can't keep your secrets forever, you know."

Sighing to himself, David approached his children and looked into their eyes, letting them know he was being serious, "I know you both want to know things about us, and as much as you may hate it when I say this-"

"Which doesn't make it any else annoying to hear."

"-we will tell you everything one day. But just not today."

Looking towards his wife, she nodded with a sad smile.

"So, we decided that we will make a deal with you both."

Sending a knowing glance at each other, both Nora and Ben leaned to listen.

"If you refrain from asking any questions about us and anything having to do with us, for an entire year, me and your mother will sit down with you both to tell you everything there is. I promise that by next summer, we will tell you everything. But only if you stop asking for an entire year. Deal?"

Nora and Ben smiled and replied at the same time, "Deal!"

David sighed, feeling his wife's hand on his shoulder for comfort, "Alright, now, who's ready to eat."

"What do you think we've been doing right now?" Ben teased.

"Candy isn't dinner," Felicity raised an eyebrow. "And because you're eating desert before dinner, you both need to eat twice as many vegetables tonight."

"Oh, mom!" both kids moaned.

"No whining! Now, let's go find the nearest restaurant and eat."

The moment the next furry arrived, the Irons family boarded for a trip back to the city. But unknown to the kids, their parents were in a deep conversation about what they had just learned and their fears of the coming meeting with Severus later that night.

* * *

 **I figured it was time to see Severus finally meet his uncle and aunt. As for the cousins, I'm saving that for another time.**

 **As for the special announcement, I've decided to turn this into a trilogy. Well, sort of. Think in terms of** **'** _ **Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy' (**_ **or the _Cornetto Trilogy_ ). They don't continue the same story, but they do have a connection and have a similar presence. ' _Redemption'_ is the first installment, and the second installment is called _'The Mysterious Traveler'_ (which is already up for reading). A third installment is also in works, but not currently up yet.**

 **The plot to _'The Mysterious Traveler'_ is going to be a crossover between _'Harry Potter'_ and the hit Nickelodeon tv show ' _Avatar: The Last Airbender',_ where a teenage Severus Snape is accidently teleported to the world of the Avatar. Not going to say anymore. You're going to have to find out the rest by reading. So go check it out if you're interested.**

 **I would like to take all of you for leaving reviews. It really does mean a lot to me.**

 **Also, please know I am not giving up on this story. I am going to see it through.**

 **Glad to be back in the game! See you all in Chapter 17!**


	17. A Prince Meeting

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **Sorry (once again) for a bit of a wait for this next chapter. But it's up now and you can all start reading.**

 **I would like to thank all of you who have been leaving reviews. I appreciate it! :)**

 **As usual, I don't own anything involving Harry Potter!**

 **Anyway, here's chapter seventeen!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen:**

 **A Prince Meeting**

* * *

David and Felicity Irons sat at the dinning table of opposite sides of one another, each holding a drink in their hands.

Ever since arriving back from a delicious meal of a wizard establishment, the two had been deep in thought, hearts full of worry. And it most certainly didn't help that their children noticed. Managing to convince them to go swimming at the pool for a while, they bought themselves extra time to think things through and plan ahead for their meeting with Severus.

A long period of silence passed before Felicity spoke first.

"What are we going to do?"

David shook his head, "I'm not sure. But I do know this... his presence will raise questions."

"Do you think he knows?"

"If he broke through my sister's _Forgetfulness Charm_ then I believe he most certainly does."

"We need to talk with him first, before introducing him to Ben and Nora."

David chuckled as he took a drink from his cup, "You seem excited to add him to the family."

"Of course I am! He's the last family you and I have now."

Pain and sadness appeared on his face, earning a look of sympathy from his wife.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's just..." He sighed. "... it's just hard to imagine that they're gone now. I never even got to say goodbye to my sister... or to mother."

"You couldn't have know what would happen."

"True. But I do wish I could have known about my father's death. That way I could have been there for her... maybe even have gotten Eileen and Eric to live with us."

Tears threatened to break free from his eyelids.

"Damn it! Why didn't I just take her and Eric with us when I had the chance?! The whole plan was a bloody mistake!"

"She did what she thought was right. And you respected her wishes, including Helena's."

"Doesn't change the fact that letting her stay in England was a bad idea."

"What's done is done, David. There's no changing that. But we need to talk with Er- I mean, Severus, about this. Before we introduce him to Ben and Nora, we must discuss certain things with him."

"And we will."

Downing the last of his drink, David rose from his chair as he walked towards the door, followed by Felicity. Grabbing their wands, they exited their room and walked on down towards room 304.

* * *

Severus sat at the small table of his room, enjoying a meal that was brought up to him by room service. Once finished, he stared out his window towards the city of New York, lost in the beautiful lights of the skyscrapers around him.

After a long period of time, he heard a loud knock from his door and used his wand to disarm the _Locking Spell_ he placed on it.

"Come in," he called out.

Hearing the door open, he turned to find his uncle and aunt in his room.

Standing up, he approached them.

"Happy you could make it."

David and Felicity smiled at him.

"Wouldn't have missed out on having this conversation with you. I have much to ask."

"About Eileen and myself, I'm sure."

"And among other things."

Severus nodded, fully understanding.

Walking forward, David threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug, being followed by Felicity a moment later.

Severus felt awkward the whole time, finding it difficult to restrain himself from grabbing his wand by habit. His muscles and body were tensed up.

Felicity cupped the side of his face, smiling, "I'm so happy you're here, Er... Severus. I only wish Eileen would have came with you long before."

Nodding nervously, he motioned towards the chairs of the table.

"Seems we will be here for a while. Might as well sit."

As they took their seats, Severus felt something inside of him. A warm feeling that he couldn't recall ever feeling before.

"What would you like to talk about first?"

David and Felicity shared a look.

"There are a great many things I wish to talk about. But first, we must discuss something even more important."

Severus nodded, "You wish for me to keep _our_ shared history a secret."

"No, we don't wish for that," said Felicity. "When we introduce you to Ben and Nora, we don't want to lie. Enough lying has been done already. Besides, we need to give Nora some answers to keep her from trying to pry more than she needs to know. But..."

"There's the situation of who you _truly_ are."

Severus nodded again, "I know. Eileen showed me her memories before she died, so I know about the promise you both made that night. A promise to honor Helena's final wish."

"Which is why I don't wish for you to reveal your true parentage until the time is right. For now, you are to be known as the son of Eileen. Anything else involving Helena needs to be kept to a minimum. When the day comes, we should be the ones to tell..."

"I know. And you have my word that I will not do anything to compromise your promise with Eileen. You two should be the ones to do it."

David and Felicity nodded with relief.

"Thank you," said Felicity. "That makes things all the more easier for us."

David struggled to find his voice as he asked his next question, "Can you... tell me... how..."

Severus closed his eyes, "She was murdered... by Tobias."

David's eyes filled with tears as he took a deep breath and lowered his head into his hands.

Felicity touched his shoulder, her cheeks wet from her own tears.

"What happened... exactly?"

"From what I've heard, Tobias got into a drunken rage and killed her, before killing himself."

"How did he kill her?"

"It wasn't fast-"

"Please!"

Severus sighed, "He whipped her to death."

David shook his head as he wept in silence, looking up to meet his nephew's eyes as he nodded in gratitude, "Thank you... for telling me."

Severus nodded back.

"How did you become the Lord of the Prince Dynasty?" Felicity asked.

"If I knew my father well, he most likely wouldn't have made it easy."

"He most certainly didn't. But Rebekka was the one who managed to find loopholes after his death. One of those loopholes involved that if Tobias were to die before my seventeenth birthday, then me and Eileen would be able to become part of the family name once more."

"If only the bastard just skipped to the part where he offed himself instead."

"I actually flushed his ashes down the toilet before leaving England."

David roared with laughter, slapping his knee.

Felicity stared at Severus in horror, eyes wide.

"Severus! How could you do something so cruel?!"

"Serves the bastard right!"

"DAVID!"

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't feel the same."

"But to do something so... barbaric!"

Severus forced himself not to smile, despite how amused he was.

Calming himself, David turned back to his nephew.

"I'm happy you are here, but I have to ask... why did you come? If you saw the memories and know what is going on, then you know what you could be compromising."

Severus sighed, "For a number of reasons. I believe you know about the new Dark Lord and his group of Death Eaters back home?"

" _Home_ is a bit of a stretch."

Severus grinned, "Agreed."

Felicity smiled at his expression, happy to see some form of happiness from him.

"I left because... things weren't working out. I got sorted into Slytherin and I was nearly close to being brainwashed into joining them. The House has become a galleon mine for new recruits to their so-called cause."

Felicity gasped.

"I recently broke ties with them, but ended up making them my enemies in the process. I knew what that would mean for me in my final two years at Hogwarts, but I became aware of these summer courses in other oversea schools. One of them happened to be Salem. With my Eileen's death and the memories she gave me, I was able to find you."

"And with Tobias's death, you were able to gain the wealth and power of the Prince Dynasty."

"And you can add up the rest from there."

"Does anyone else know you're here?"

"Aside from my personal financial goblin at Gringotts and also the remaining servants at the Prince Manor... no."

David grinned, "Crashwell still kicking?"

Severus nodded, "Yes."

"Aha, I knew it! At the very least I got something to look forward to when I see the Manor again."

"I'm happy you've decided to come live here and attend school, but what about the people back home?"

Severus frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you have friends or someone special in your life? People who will miss you?"

He felt his heart tighten and drop.

"Believe me when I say it... there's no one waiting for me back there. Part of the reason it was so easy to leave was because there's nothing keeping me there. I figured it was time for a change anyway."

Felicity looked at him with sadness, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Why would Eileen tell you now?" David asked. "We agreed to seventeen or after graduation."

Severus looked into his eyes and drew a breath, figuring it would have come to this sooner or later.

"Before Eileen died, I began having nightmares of what happened _that night_. I kept on having them every night that I wrote to her for answers and she sent her memories to me. I only got to see them until after my affairs were put into order, and learned everything I needed to know."

David nodded, "It's been known that physical and mental pain could break through the _Forgetfulness Charm._ How much do you remember of that night?"

"Just about the fire and other little moments involving what happened that night. Everything else I know was learned from Eileen's memories."

David nodded, taking a long moment before he asked, "How was she? What kind of life did she live?"

Severus sighed, "She had a decent life for a while. It was better before everything fell apart. From what I saw, Tobias was good to her. But sometime after I came to live with them, Tobias started drinking and became violent. He was a different man from what I saw in the memories."

"Did she erase his memories as well?"

"I believe she did. It's the only way he would have allowed for me to stay there."

David closed his eyes as shook his head, a look of guilt appearing on his face.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be," Severus interrupted. "Like Felicity has said, you couldn't have known. You just did what you had to do."

Taking a moment, he continued.

"Back to the subject at hand, I've decided to enroll at the Salem Academy and live just on the outskirts of the town. So we'll be able to see more of each other for now on."

David chuckled, "Tell me true, _nephew._ You didn't just come to start over, did you. You came because of us being here."

Controlling his emotions, Severus kept his expression blank, "I came because I need to be with those I can trust not to betray me. There are a number of reasons for me being here. One of them being that I need to prepare for a possible war with the Malfoy Dynasty."

David frowned, confused, "What do you mean?"

Making a decision to tell them, he replied, "In the time after learning about my heritage, I learned about our family's rivalry with the Malfoys. But I also have reason to believe that Abraxas Malfoy was involved with what happened that night, ten years ago."

David and Felicity's eyes widened with fear and shock.

"Abraxas? But why would he have any reason to-"

A look of realization appeared on David's face, his shock turning to anger.

"It has something to do with what Abraxas's father wanted from Cornelius, doesn't it? That's how he's involved."

Severus nodded, "Whatever it was that the Malfoys wanted from our family, it was enough to make them strike a deal for peace and even kill Helena... on Cornelius's demand."

He watched as his uncle's face lit up red at processing the information he was given.

"My father ordered Helena's death?!"

David sat in his chair for a few moments, beginning to shake with anger. Then, without warning, he flew out of his chair, grabbing ahold of the empty plate right next to him and threw it against the wall. Letting out a loud cry, he fell to his knees and wept.

Felicity went to his side, holding him.

Severus watched them as he continued to sit where he was. He betrayed no emotion as he let them have their time to recover.

"That bastard!" David uttered with a heavy voice. "I hope he rots in hell! Including Abraxas!"

Severus let the silence continue for a little longer before replying, "Ever since I learned of Abraxas's involvement, I've taken steps to create a... _network_... of sorts. If a day ever was to come where I would be at war with the Malfoys, I need to have my own personal army with me to take Abraxas on. Despite they've already aligned themselves with the new Dark Lord and his followers, I have the element of surprise and time on my side. They have no idea of the Prince Dynasty's return or of my plans."

Looking up at him, David shook his head, "You're too young to be thinking or doing such things, Severus. You're save here, with us."

"Like how Helena and William were safe?" He raised an eyebrow. "I may know that Abraxas was involved, but there's still so much that me and you don't know. All of my knowledge of what happened that night comes from the perspective of my aunt and a few memories I've managed to regain. I still don't know what it was that my biological parents had that got them killed, or who the _'dark hooded figures'_ were."

"No one came for you when you were with Eileen."

"For certain reasons that are no longer in place to make sure they won't come looking. By the beginning of the new school year, there will be those who will be looking for me when I don't show up for my sixth year at Hogwarts. I don't want to go to war with Abraxas, but I can't guarantee he won't discover my new position. I can keep all of you and Ben safe from them, through my network."

David's eyes narrowed, "Then why come here?"

Severus froze at the question, unable to answer. He began to wonder why he came to them, especially when it was obvious the best way to protect them was to stay away. Even if Abraxas discovered who he truly was, there was no other way to track down his uncle.

Recovering, he replied, "I... don't know. But I can promise you that I will keep you and everyone else safe. No one else has to know we are related. To the outside world and the school, I'm just a friend of the family. But I need to stay over here at Salem and continue to build my network for further protection."

Taking in his words, David nodded and got up off the floor, with the help of his wife.

"Alright. But I have one more condition."

Severus raised his eyebrows, "Name it."

"I will be the one helping you in building this _network_. If you're going to do this, then make sure you do it right."

"And you know how to create an illegal wizard network... how, exactly?"

David grinned, "I've spent a long time traveling the world, Severus. In my years of trying to stay one step ahead of my father and the things I've been through, experience has made me aware of certain things that even the wizardry world doesn't know."

Severus nodded, "Alright, I can work with that. But I have a condition of my own." He stood up. "I need you to train me in the... _skills_ that you know."

"How would you know I've got some _skills_?"

"Because I saw the memory of you and Eileen. One part of the conversation caught my attention. Something that can benefit me in the long run."

With an even bigger grin, he replied, "Done!"

Walking forward, David shook his hand, "But be warned... I don't plan on going easy on you."

"I wouldn't want you to."

"Good, because we start tomorrow morning, at the break of dawn."

Felicity rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, "Alright, enough scaring your recently-found nephew. I think it's time to introduce him to the kids."

Severus's heart picked up speed as the thought entered his head, anxiety taking over.

David nodded, "I agree. Come over to our room and meet your family, Severus. I know Nora will be overjoyed to meet you."

Felicity smiled, eyes full of excitement, "They should be back by now."

Though nervous, he nodded, "Lead the way."

They exited the room and walked back to their own, being followed by their nephew. Once arriving, they entered and walked into the living room area of their luxurious hotel room.

"Ben! Nora!" Felicity called out. "Come here! Your dad and I have someone to introduce you to."

Hearing a series of footsteps, a boy and girl shoved each other as they rushed to the living room, wearing bathrobes. Upon seeing the mysterious boy with their parents, their eyes lit up.

"Who's this?" Nora asked.

"This is Severus Prince," Felicity answered. "He'll be going to Salem this coming school year. And he's also your father's... nephew."

Nora's eyes lit up with excitement as the words sunk in, squealing with delight as she pounced forward and began shaking his hand.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I'm finally meeting someone from my parent's family! Tell me, is your parent brother or sister to my dad? How come you've never been mentioned by my parents? And how come you've never come to see us? Wait a minute, aren't you that guy from the Statue of Liberty just earlier today?"

"Nora!" Felicity and David yelled at the same time.

She stuck her tongue out at them, "Oh come on, I was just asking him some questions."

"By talking his ear off? You're scaring him."

"Oh, stop complaining, mom!"

Severus could only watch in amusement at her reaction. Normally he would be irritated or upset at such behavior, but he was so caught-off-guard that it didn't even bother him.

Feeling her hand let go of his, his attention then turned to the boy known as Ben.

As their eyes met, he felt his heart and mind race with anxiety. There was a part of him that couldn't believe he was actually in the same room with him.

Offering his hand, the boy shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," greeted an excited Ben.

Severus nodded, "Likewise. It's been a long time coming."

Before he could reply, Felicity stepped spoke up, "How about we sit down at the table and have some dessert?"

"Oh, definitely!" Nora squealed.

"But you're only to have half a dish tonight, young lady. That includes you too, Ben. I haven't forgotten about your _snacks_ from the Statue of Liberty today."

"Oh, fine!" Nora whined, eyes full of sadness. However, they quickly turned to happiness when they met Severus's. Taking his arm, she dragged him to the table, full of excitement.

"Oh, we have so much to talk about Severus! I cannot wait to hear all the things you have to say! My parents never tell me anything-"

Her voice faded out as he looked over towards David, who offered a sympathetic smile and shrug. Mouthing to him, _Sorry! She gets that from her mother!_

Felicity shot him an angry look, mouthing in return, _I heard that!_

Severus rolled his eyes as he was forced into a seat as Nora rambled on, asking him questions. Looking over towards Ben, he saw the boy smile at him and got a feeling in his stomach that made him feel unwell. He actually began questioning if this was such a good idea after all.

Once Felicity brought the ice scream out, they all began digging in as they listened to Ben and Nora continue to ask him more questions.

* * *

 **Alright, so maybe not that big of a chapter and not that much going on. For now, the idea is to help get Severus more into his new life in America and also with the Irons Family. It's just an introduction by this point.**

 **I promise to those who are looking forward to the Salem school days of Severus, we will definitely get to see those. I won't be skipping over them (well, maybe we'll skip a few weeks or months, but nothing too big of a time-jump).**

 **Also, this story is now part of a trilogy I'm putting together. The second installment is already up, with fourteen chapters posted (as of July 10, 2017). It's called _"The Mysterious Traveler"_ and is a crossover between the world of Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender. I recommend checking it out if you have seen the television show.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys in Chapter 18! Thanks for reading and please leave a review in the box below! I want to read your thoughts! :)**


	18. A Chance

**Redemption**

* * *

 **Okay, so this chapter will feature no Severus Snape. In fact, I highly doubt it will be that long. It'll pretty much just focus on the character of Angelina Ivory and also a little bit on Dumbledore.**

 **As for Disclaimer, I do no own Harry Potter!**

 **Also, thank you for the reviews!**

 **Please enjoy chapter eighteen!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen:**

 **A Chance**

* * *

The sun rose high in the sky over the city of Paris. With no clouds to be seen, the sun shined over everything, creating a hot day for the summer month of July.

Staring out the window of the wizard hotel of her room, Angelina Ivory moaned to herself in despair. Her fingers tapped the table, feeling the heat of the sun's rays on her skin.

While others were enjoying the time of the year, Angelina couldn't wait for her return to Hogwarts. The trips to Diagon Alley only helped as much as they could for her. And it most certainly didn't help that her parents took her on their trips every year. She already had to put off returning to her waitress job at the wizard restaurant for the time being.

Hearing the door to her room open, she turned to find her mother walking on in, dressed in a fancy wizard robe.

"Oh, there you are! Your father and I need to speak to you."

Sighing, Angelina rose from her seat and nodded, "Yes, mother."

Following her to the living room of the large suite they were renting, she saw her father on the couch, reading the wizard newspaper. Once sitting down on one of the sofas, both her parents looked up at her with happy smiles.

"We have some news to tell you," her mother said.

Her father leaned forward, folding his hands, "We've decided on a suitable husband for you. By the time you graduate from Hogwarts, you'll be marrying Jacob Mulciber."

Angelina felt her heart stop at hearing the name. A rush of fear filling her.

"Mulciber? But... he's... he's-"

"Angelina, dear," her mother spoke with a calm and gentle tone. "You should be proud. This marriage will continue the bloodline for years to come and gain favor with... the right people."

Angelina scoffed, "You mean the Dark Lord and his gang of murderers."

"Watch you're tongue, young lady!" her father warned. "Keep talking that way and I'll take away your privileges to leave the manor for now. We don't want make us enemies with those we can't afford to upset. Times are changing, and it's best that we change with 'em."

"But why Mulciber? He's a creep and a bully."

"You're being too judgmental on the boy," said her mother. "How could you truly know him if the two of you never really spoke."

Angelina opened her mouth to protest but stopped at the last second. Memories of what happened to Severus Snape entered her mind. Including the time when Mulciber and his gang cornered her for helping the boy they tortured and left her immobilized. The hair on her arms stood up at just the memory of it.

"We've made our final decision on the matter. You will marry Mulciber in two years time and honor our family name to be his wife. The arrangement will be made official as soon as possible."

She sighed in defeat, "Yes... father."

Standing up, Mr. Ivory straightened his robes, "Now, we should be getting back home. I've had enough of Paris for the time being."

For one of the very few times, she agreed with him.

Giving out orders, a group of elves began carrying their luggage from their rooms.

Once they were ready, they used a Portkey to travel to their small manor in London, landing in the middle of their living room.

Wanting to get away from parents, Angelina ran to her room and slammed the door shut. Jumping onto her bed, she began to cry, getting her blankets wet with her tears.

After a while, a knock came from her door.

"Who is it?" she sniffled.

An elf's voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Madame? A letter arrived for you, two weeks ago. It was specifically instructed to be given only to you."

Taking a moment, she rose from her bed and opened the door, taking the letter from the elf. Closing the door, she walked to the edge of her bed and sat down, opening the envelope to take out the parchment inside.

Her eyes widened at reading the sender's name.

 _Severus Snape_

Unfolding the paper, she began to read.

* * *

 _Dear Miss Angelina Ivory,_

 _You probably don't remember me, but I wanted to thank you for helping me after what happened in the Common Room. I felt that my gratitude could have been better the last time we spoke to one another. You helped me when no one else did and got humiliated for it by the very people who caused it,_

 _So, I decided to leave you with something. A way to repay you for the kindness you showed me. On the second piece of paper is a record of an account I opened up in your name. Inside this vault will be one hundred thousand galleons waiting for you. All of it is yours to use as you see fit,_

 _When you go to Gringotts, ask for a goblin by the name of Clawlock. Present him with this letter and the second sheet as well. He'll help you with whatever needs to be done. After this, the vault account and money will be officially yours,_

 _However, this isn't the only reason I wrote,_

 _I deeply apologize for only telling you this in a letter instead of in person. But at the time, I felt it was necessary to keep my plans secret for the time being. I will not be attending Hogwarts any longer. I've decided to attend a new school and pursue a new life. So we won't be seeing one another at Hogwarts anymore,_

 _You once told me that you wished to start a new life of your own. Consider this as a chance to do so. Live your life as you want to so,_

 _Take care, Angelina. I hope you find happiness in whatever decision you make,_

 _Severus Snape_

* * *

She reread the letter a couple times. Unable to trust her eyes or her mind to believe anything on the parchment.

Realizing she wasn't imagining what was written, Angelina jumped up and down with joy, letting out a loud squeal. She held the letter tight against her chest in her excitement.

Checking the time, she changed into a new pair of wizard clothes and ran out of her room, just barely missing her mother on the flight of stairs to the main floor.

"Dear Merlin, what's the rush, sweetheart!"

"I'm going to Diagon Alley for a little while."

She heard her mother sigh, "Okay. But please be back before dinner. Your father has invited guests."

Despite how much she wanted to miss such an event, she forced herself to reply, "Alright!"

Arriving in the living room, she grabbed some Floo powder and stood in the middle of the fireplace. Shouting, "Diagon Alley", as she threw the powder down to her feet.

As the green flames consumed her, she arrived at famous wizard shopping location of London and made her way to the Gringotts Wizarding Bank as fast as she could. Rushing through the doors and approaching the main desk, she was forced to wait a few moments before the goblin took notice of her.

Asking for the Senior Financial Advisor, Clawlock, the goblin left and came back a few minutes later, with the person she needed to see.

"Miss Ivory," Clawlock nodded to her. "I've been expecting your visit for some time now. But first, before we precede, I would like to see the document that came with the letter."

Nodding in return, she took out the two sheets of paper and handed them over.

Once the goblin had analyzed and confirmed the document as legit, he then led her on down to the vaults beneath the bank. Arriving at the correct vault number, he used a key to open it and then gave it to her, for future use and confirmation of her identity.

Angelina's mouth dropped at the sight of galleons all around her. Despite seeing such wealth before, she couldn't believe it actually belonged to her.

"All of this is now officially yours, Miss Ivory. It would seem you have a powerful friend, who cares for your well-being."

On the verge of weeping with joy, she forced herself to remain calm.

"Do you know where Severus Snape is, by any chance?"

Clawlock shook his head, "I'm sorry, my dear. I cannot confirm, nor deny knowing of his whereabouts. My client wishes for no one to know of his current plans for now."

Though disappointed by his answer, she nodded.

"Can you deliver him a message for me?"

"If it doesn't violate his wishes, then I can."

"Tell him... thank you... for this..." She sniffled. "And... that I would like to speak to him..."

Clawlock nodded, "I will rely the message to him. But I make no promises that he'll grant an audience with you."

"I understand."

The goblin walked to vault door, "I'll be waiting outside, until you are done here."

Once he was out of sight, Angelina covered her mouth as she looked around the vault room with awe. Enchanted by galleons that surrounded her. She began making a withdraw, taking a large sum to spend.

Leaving the bank with a smile on her face, she went shopping for a little while. Even paying a visit to the wizard restaurant to talk to the manager, who immediately gave back her usual job as waitress for the summer.

Even when she arrived back home, she couldn't stop smiling.

But as dinner drew near, her happiness quickly started to fade. The announcement of her engagement to Jacob Mulciber came back with a vengeance, creating a black hole within her chest. A reminder of what she might have to do in order to get out from under her parents' control.

Dressing in proper outfit for the evening, she made her way down to dinner. The moment she reached the dinning room, her eyes widened the moment she saw who the guests of the evening were going to be.

The Mulciber family were deep in conversation with her parents, with their son standing close by.

Frozen with fear, her eyes met Mulciber, who smiled at her. Scoffing, she avoided eye contact and approached her parents.

"Angelina, dear," her mother greeted. "Meet your intended's parents."

"Mr. and Mrs. Mulciber," she bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"The pleasure is all ours," Mrs. Mulciber greeted back. "We look forward to getting to you and your family better."

Taking their seats, they started eating the food that the servants would bring from the kitchen, beginning a series of conversations that made Angelina bored.

As the hour passed with dread, she avoided looking at Mulciber the best as she could. She could feel his gaze on her, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms and legs.

Waiting as long as she could, she excused herself from the table and began walking back to her room, having had enough for the evening.

Before she could make it to the stairs, a voice stopped her.

"Is this how you treat your future husband?"

Angelina rolled her eyes, as she turned to come face to face with Mulciber.

"Like you'll ever give me the same respect."

"Oh, but I promise I won't disappoint."

She glared at him, "This marriage will never happen, Mulciber. One way or another, I'm not marrying you."

"Oh, you think so, do you? Last time I checked, you have to obey anything mommy and daddy says. Or else you risk being disowned from all of this."

"I'm willing to take such a risk. If it means never being your wife. Or anything having to do with you."

Mulciber's face slowly turned dark and serious, "Now, now, Angelina-"

"It's Miss Ivory, thank you."

"-I'll call you whatever I like. But as I was saying, you shouldn't do anything rash or stupid. You might end up getting hurt."

"Like you did to Severus?"

His face lit up with anger, "Oh, trust me. That little traitor will get much worse than you. He won't survive the next school year."

She smirked, "Oh, I have an idea he just might. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm retiring for the evening."

"Want some _help_ in that regard?"

She scoffed with disgust and ran up the stairs as fast as she could, throwing herself onto the bed after making sure to place locking spells on her door. As she laid there, her mind wondered off.

She knew that she needed to confront her parents about this and try to make them call off the wedding to Mulciber. She couldn't marry someone as terrible as him. But fears of being disowned entered her mind. She didn't want to lose her parents or her friends from Hogwarts. But she feared being forced into a loveless marriage so much more.

Making a decision, she decided to begin looking for a place to buy in Diagon Alley. If she could get something suitable enough, and could fit within her income she would receive from her summer job, she would be able to live a life outside of her parents.

Losing consciousness, she fell to sleep.

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his office as he rubbed his beard, enjoying the moment of peace and relaxation for the time being. His mind and attention was focused on the prophecy that he had heard two weeks before, trying to make sense of the words and what they could mean. He had the words written on a piece of parchment.

Hearing the gargoyle door open, he watched as the Professor of Muggle Studies, Roland Victor, entered his office.

"Apologizes for disturbing you, Headmaster."

Dumbledore shook his head, "No worries, Mister Victor. What can I do for you today."

The professor took his seat and said, "I don't wish to burden you with this, but I came to let you know that I have decided to step down as the Muggle Studies Professor. I feel the need to travel the world once more. I fear I was never one to stay in one place for so long."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, "I understand. But is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?"

"I'm sorry, but no. My mind has already been made up. I'll stay until the beginning of August, but I plan on leaving as soon as possible."

"Very well. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I thank you for your service to this school and to its students. You will be missed, Victor."

Nodding, Victor rose from his seat and walked back to the doorway.

Sighing, Dumbledore began sorting through his mail, hoping to get his mind off of the prophecy for once. For hours he read the large stack, until he came across one that caught him by surprise.

Taking the envelope that read the name of the sender as _Severus Snape_ , he opened it and took out a series of papers. Sorting through them, he found a letter.

* * *

 _To: Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore,_

 _I wish to inform you that I have recently come into the possession of a fortune and am able to repay you for the money you gave in helping with my mother's funeral arrangements. I've transferred over a hundred thousand galleons into the scholarship fund for Hogwarts. The documents that came with this letter will have the information needed to prove that the money is indeed real,_

 _Severus Snape,_

* * *

Dumbledore's curiosity rose as he began to wonder how the young Snape had managed to come into possession of such a wealth. But he was even more surprised by the fact that he would give some of that money to the scholarship fund of Hogwarts. He made a mental note to thank the boy when he returned for the following year school.

But he also vowed to keep an eye on him as well. He feared what kind of problems could arise in a potential Death Eater, especially one who had a wealth behind him.

* * *

 **Sorry for the chapter being short and for not featuring Severus. I originally meant for him to be in here, but decided to save his moments for the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, thank you for the support and please check out my other story, _'The Mysterious Traveler'_ if you're interested.**

 **Thank you for reading and please leave a review in the box down below!**

 **See you guys in Chapter 19!**


	19. Sorry, not a chapter

_**Sorry, not a chapter!**_

 **Alright, I know a lot of you are waiting for a new chapter and I'm currently working on it. In fact, I'm still working out future story-arcs and what directions I'm going in. But this isn't about that. This is much more important.**

 **Fair warning, this is a message to those who live in the United States of America.**

 **As some of you already know, Net Neutrality is under attack. What is "Net Neutrality"? Well, it's a system that protects the Internet, so we can surf the web and see as many websites as we want, without restriction or slow connection speed. It also keeps big corporations from taking control and putting prices on everything.**

 **Imagine if HBO decided to charge you extra by separating... say, Game of Thrones and True Blood. Say instead of being available in the same place, HBO separates the two into different sections and makes you pay extra to see one or both. Despite you're already paying $16.00 dollars a month for subscription. Well, thank goodness they aren't doing that. But it can happen to the Internet though.**

 **The FCC wants to destroy Net Neutrality and wants separate things like Youtube, Facebook and so many other websites by placing them into sections that cost money. Meaning that instead of being free to search any website by having Internet connection (which we are already paying for), you would need to pay extra just to get to these websites. And that's not talking about the slow speed and extra prices these companies will have control over.**

 **Also, they can view anything and control what we look at without restriction.**

 **And they are going to make a vote on December 14th of this year.**

 **How can we stop this?**

 **Well, there is a link that can help: w w w . battleforthenet . com (P.S. - Had to put in spaces, because this site likes to erase whatever website I try to leave a link)**

 **If you go there, you can fill out the requirements on the top righthand page and send a message to Congress. You will also be given the choice to call come Representatives and talk to them if you want to. There might be a possibility it will only ask for your number and just call you to let you speak to several Congress members. If there are enough people doing this, Congress will have to respond.**

 **For a better way to get to it if my link doesn't work, go to YouTube and search for AngryJoe, who has a video called "Net Neutrality & What Happens If We Lose". On the bottom of his video, there is a link that actually works.**

 **If you guys want, please help fight against the FCC and keep Net Neutrality going. And spread the word as fast as you can. Please!**

 **And once again, this is just a message for those who live in the United States.**

 **This message will appear on my other two Severus Snape stories, as a way to help get this thing going. Also, this message won't remain up for long. I will erase it once I have a chapter up or if December 14th has passed.**


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